Thousand Year Blood War
by Daniel Affaro
Summary: The Soul Society has been attacked! But these are not the Sternritter that we know. Witness the rise of the Vandenreich and the twenty-six new Sternritter that form its ranks. [Based on Tekking101's Sternritter contest entries]
1. Kriegsvorbereitungen

**Chapter 1: ****Kriegsvorbereitungen**

Night loomed over the dark cold expanse of the Silbern. A breeze, barely felt, swept through the streets and brushed past the numerous buildings. Glinting in the light of the moon, the ice that formed them almost danced in a liquid sheen.

Overlooking the city, the clock tower chimed down a bell toll seven times.

A group of individuals, dressed in similarly white uniforms walked down one of the many streets towards the palace.

"What do you think His Majesty wants?" Jamina Jazdera (Sternritter I) asked, looking up at her comrades as she attempted to keep pace with them. Around her head, the curls of her bright pink hair bobbed in almost rhythmic timing. Her deep red eyes were twisted into an expression of confusion.

Glancing down at his comrade, Silvanas Athalla (Sternritter N) returned the expression; his grey eyes holding an uncertain edge to them. "I'm not sure..." Brushing one hand back through his grey hair, he scratched slightly at the short black stubble around the back and sides of his head. "The last time I can even remember all of the Sternritter being called together is when they gave us the War Briefing."

"So do you think the Invasion is starting today?!" Jamina cried out in flustered protest. Not paying attention to where she was going, the young girl tripped over a pot-hole that lay in the middle of the street.

Landing face-first in the snow, Jamina blushed fiercely. The heat from her face began to melt the snow around her.

"What are we going to do with you," Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) muttered, almost to himself as he helped her to her feet. Peering over the fabric mask that covered the bottom half of his face, he made sure that she hadn't hurt herself in the fall. "It wouldn't do us much good if our medic was out of commission before the fights even started."

"I know that!" Jamina cried out, defiantly as she looked up at the young man and blushed even more furiously than before.

Despite half of his face being covered, Basilisk was very attractive. His messy brown hair fell in an unruly fashion around his head, and his eyes were piercing and betrayed nothing. Jamina loved that, but hated it at the same time.

Brushing the snow off of her nurse's uniform, she pulled the traditional cloak of the Sternritter back around her body and turned her back on the two men. Storming off, she left a flurry of snow in her wake.

Glancing over at Basilisk, Silvanas began to toy with the pendant on his necklace. "Well that was awkward..."

"Was it?" Basilisk replied, ever so slightly confused by the remark.

Thinking better of elaborating, Silvanas simply shrugged. "I guess so." Turning his attention back to where Jamina had previously been, he realised she was far further away than he had anticipated. "We best go after her."

"If you say so," muttered Basilisk, pulling his hood up over his head and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Walking down the road after the girl, the pair's footsteps crunched pleasantly through the chilling snow. Icicles hung from the lips of roofs, occasionally dripping cold water onto the men's shoulders.

After continuing in silence for a while, Silvanas spoke up. "So what have you been doing with yourself these last few days."

"Sketching," arose the almost blunt reply.

"Oh, you draw?"

"Sometimes." Basilisk was spurring any attempt that his fellow Sternritter was making at starting a conversation.

"If you like to draw, you could always talk to Gillaume," Silvanas persisted. "The guy is a master with charcoal."

"I'll keep that in mind." Again, another disinterested response.

Thinking better of continuing, Silvanas returned his attention to the road ahead of them and the fast-approaching silhouette of Jamina. He was in no mood to try and attempt to squeeze blood from a stone.

Very few of his fellow Sternritter actually related well with one-another. A price to pay from having been scattered across the world, and in hiding. A few of them were pleasant, but on the whole, Silvanas wasn't overly fond of them. Jamina was one of the few that he could talk to without issue. He liked that. If it paid to make friends with anyone, it would be their resident Doctor; even if she was only seventeen years old.

Finally closing the gap on the girl, Silvanas placed a hand softly on her shoulder. "Don't go running off like that again; we all know what you're like. You could hurt yourself."

Shrugging off his hand, she pulled a face. "Don't talk to me like I'm a child."

He laughed. "I'm not calling you a child." Breaking into a grin, he glanced down at her. "I'm saying that I'd feel safer with our medic close to me."

Losing the edge of her defiant look, Jamina allowed a smile to pluck the corner of her mouth.

"And why is that?" came a voice, seemingly from nowhere. "Expecting friendly fire, are we?"

Appearing from the alcove of one of the buildings, Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) threw him a serious expression. It was no wonder Silvanas had failed to notice him; every inch of him blended into the environment. Long white hair fell softly around his face, framing his bright silver eyes and almost luminescently pale skin.

"Hardly," Silvanas relplied, covering his distrust with a lie. "I'd rather have her and not need her, than need her and not have her."

"Hmm..." Asuma hummed in dissatisfaction, before slipping past the group of three and making his own way to the palace. After several feet he almost seemed to disappear into the surroundings.

"I know it's probably not right to say this, but he scares me," Jamina muttered, once she was sure that Asuma was out of earshot.

"I don't blame you," Silvanas replied, scratching his head again. "The guy is a monster."

"We're all monsters," Basilisk said from inside his hood and mask, before beginning to walk again.

Silvanas laughed. "And just like that you sound human again. I thought it would never happen."

Basilisk ignored him and focused on the palace ahead of them. The great dome and spikes dwarfed anything in the surrounding area that dared to come close to it.

Beside him, Jamina and Silvanas continued their speculations as to why they were being summoned.

Soon the threesome had arrived at the palace. The cavernous entrance hall reverberated sound back upon them, as their footsteps echoed through the room.

Several of the other Sternritter had already arrived and were seated around the hall in various positions and groups. Stood to the side on his own, arms folded, was Asuma; his spectral appearance almost making him seem like an apparition.

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G), as usual, was sitting with one leg crossed over the other on the steps leading up to the throne room. His cloak was pulled tightly around his body to fight off the cold. Green eyes flicked lazily around the room as he rested his chin in his palm and observed the other Star Knights.

"Afternoon," he said, as the group of three approached him.

"Someone looks bored," Jamina said, sitting down next to him. Pushing her knees together, she turned her ankles outwards and tilted her head to the side, so that she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Someone is tired," Onmar replied, annoyance present in the undertones of his voice. "This damn place is far too cold; I couldn't get any sleep. " As he spoke, a cloud of smoke billowed from his lips. "I'm not used to this crap."

"So why aren't you trying to distract yourself?" Jamina asked. "Take your mind off of it. Talk to someone."

"Like who?" he asked. He nodded his head towards Asuma, stood off to the side. "Mr lone wolf over there won't even give anyone the time of day. Plus, Aya hates me, so that's that group in the corner out."

"Don't worry, we'll keep you company," Silvanas said, with a smile.

"I'm thrilled."

"If you're still cold, we can wait for Tomoko to show up," Jamina said with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure she'll be able to warm you up."

Onmar only let out a pessimistic grunt as he began to rub his hands together.

"So this is what... Eight of us?" Silvanas asked, looking around the massive room.

"Nine," Onmar corrected, still rubbing his hands together.

"Who did I miss?"

"Kirmie has one of his bugs flying around," he replied. "Disgusting bastard... I'm glad he didn't show up himself."

"I don't think I've ever actually seen his face," Basilisk said, from inside his hood. Slight intrigue plucked at his voice.

"You're lucky," Onmar spat out in response. "It's vile."

"I'm going to go and talk to Clarlonde," Silvanas said, turning his head to look at the group in the corner. He flicked his eyes back over to Jamina and smirked. "Make sure Onmar doesn't freeze to death."

As he walked away, Onmar's voice followed him. "Try not to get killed while you're there; god forbid you make me happy."

Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) turned her head towards Silvanas as he approached her and her two companions. Her hair was long and black; several streaks of white leaping out from it. Deep purple eyes were crumpled into a smile.

Clarlonde was one of the few Sternritter who actually wore the traditional uniform completely uncustomised. Her body was adorned in a double-breasted white jacket, and her legs encased in a pair of pure white pants. She was the only one to wear the military cap, and it sat on her head tilted to an odd angle.

The girl next to her looked so similar to her that one could assume that they were siblings. Aya Herz (Sternritter S) also had black hair, albeit lacking the white stripes, and purple eyes. Aya, however, was several years younger than Clarlonde and, as such, was well over a foot shorter. Aya wore a light blue turtleneck underneath her jacket, and in spite of the cold, a short white miniskirt.

"What brings you to my neck of the woods, Sil?" Clarlonde asked, still smiling.

"Just coming to see if any of you know what this is about," Silvanis replied.

"You better not have been talking to Onmar back then," Aya suddenly butted in. Her brows were lowered into a childish expression of anger. "You know that I don't like him."

"And so what if I was?" Silvanis said, playfully. "It's rude of you to think that just because you don't like him, everyone else has to hate him."

"Master Athalla is right, My Lady," suddenly echoed a voice from the last remaining figure of the group. "It's terribly rude of you to impose such a harsh exile on Master Gunther, based only on your dislike of the letter G."

Standing at just over a head taller than Silvanis, the man was large. This was only enhanced by the full body armour and helmet that adorned his form, setting him as an imposing figure. None of the Sternritter knew his name, so it had become common practice to refer to him as "Knight"; based on his choice of garb.

Knight was, for lack of a better phrase, Aya's bodyguard. Truth be told, if the situation arose, he would readily defend all of the female Sternritter; call it chivalry. However, Aya being only fifteen years old, and therefore the youngest, he had taken it upon himself to be her permanent escort.

"Thank you, Knight," Silvanis said, a grin plucking the corner of his mouth as he bowed.

"Do not mention it, Sir," the voice said, from the helmet. " I was merely instructing My Lady on proper etiquette."

"And a fine job you're doing," he said, chuckling, before turning his attention back to Clarlonde. "So, do you know why we're all here?"

"As far as I can tell, Lenora- I'm sorry, 'Captain Poultery'- wants to go over battle strategies with us." Clarlonde pulled a dissatisfied face.

"Not a fan?"

"I don't think any of the Sternritter are," came the reply. "She's the leader of the Soldat, so they're all practically licking her boots. But as far as the other top twenty six are concerned, she's just another control freak."

"Is that a fact?"

"Well, no not really... Some of them don't even care about her. Take Z for example. I doubt he would even take notice of her."

"Madam Poultery is a well needed lynchpin of the system," Knight interjected. "While you may hold distaste for her, she is still your commanding officer. If you are going to be disrespectful, I would implore you to do so outside of my presence."

"Ever the gentleman," Clarlonde said, smiling.

"_This_ is it?!" suddenly shouted a voice. The owner stood in the doorway to the entrance hall, his hands on his hips and a look of annoyance plastered across his face. "Why did I even bother?! There's not even half of you shitheads here!"

"Oh, well speak of the devil," Silvanis said, with intrigue.

Sternritter Z, Mann Elle spat to the side as he strode into the hall. The light glinted off of his bald head, highlighting a vein bulging on the side of his temple. He wore a variation of the standard uniform that featured a sleeveless white shirt, with three black bands strapped down his left arm. His hands were covered in a pair of fingerless leather gloves. Fixed to his belt and tapping against his thigh was a black powder horn.

"I came all the way here for this?" He continued to rant, his amber eyes flicking over the room's other occupants. "I expected at least half of us! If you're not going to follow orders, then what's the point, you dumbshits?!" His voice was mocking and harsh.

Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) walked up behind him and sighed. "Please shut up; you're giving me a headache."

Eric wore a mask that covered his whole face in the visage of a skull. Piercing blue eyes were visible through the sockets and jet black hair peaked through the back and fell over his neck. Around his body, a pure white trench coat billowed. Emblazoned across the back was the Vandenreich's insignia.

"What are you talking about, young man?" suddenly came another voice from outside of the palace. "Can you not hear the beautiful echoes that his voice is making? You need to take some time to appreciate art."

Sternritter F, Gillaume DaVinci, broke into a smile as he walked into the cavernous room. Admiring the area around him, his eyes began to twinkle.

Gillaume was an elderly man that appeared to be in his early sixties. Curly grey hair clung to his head, matching the thick bushy beard that covered over half of his face. Spreading across the right side of his face, covering the exposed skin of his cheek and forehead, was an angry-looking burn scar.

"The acoustics are simply fantastic," he continued on, not once breaking pace from his brisk stride. "The curvature of the walls, the strategically placed collumns. Brilliant. A true work of genius."

After a while, it became blatantly apparent that Gillaume was no longer addressing his fellows, but rather musing to himself. Tottering off on his own, he began to pace the room, all the while still talking.

One-by-one the remaining Sternritter entered the palace. Before long, twenty four out of the twenty six members had gathered. Converging around the stairs leading up to the throne room, they all waited.

Onmar, now sat cross-legged on the floor, was watching the stairs intently. His green eyes held them in an intense focus. Blowing air into his cupped hands, he never once broke his gaze.

All of a sudden, the floor in front of the stairs began to rise up out of the ground. Light flooded the chamber. A platform now stood in front of the gathered Sternritter.

Footsteps perforated the air as, descending from the throne room, a figure advanced down towards the stage. The sides of her head were shaved, however the bright red and purple hair on the top of her head had grown long enough to cover the right hand side. Her jacket was cut short to show off her midriff and across her shoulders a deep red cape was draped. Fixed to the side of her face was a headset.

"Is everyone here and accounted for?" Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) boomed.

Scanning the crowd briefly, she made a mental note of those present before turning her attention to the podium. Noticing a small fly, rubbing its legs together as it watched her, she appeared satisfied.

"All bow, before His Majesty! Yhwach!" she called out, stepping to the side and bowing low.

Descending from his throne room, swathed in black robes and hair, Yhwach stood above the congregation. Eyes deep red held the Sternritter in his vision as they collectively bowed. His lips parted slowly, purposely.

"My dear Sternritter! As many of you know, the promised time is drawing near. The Soul Society will soon be within our grasp! The Shinigami shall kneel beneath the might of the Quincy!"

A cheer of approval was roused from many of the more vocal Sternritter. Onmar broke into a smile, still sitting on the floor. Basilisk's face betrayed nothing.

"In one week we shall strike against the Seireitei, and bring the Soul Reapers to their knees. My friends: Now is the time to put your existence on the line. To give your all for the cause. We are a clenched fist ready to strike back against those that sent us into oblivion and who now lie sleeping. So tell me my friends: What is it you truly want?"

It started with Mann, muttering under his breath. "Krieg... Krieg..."

Soon the entire congregation had followed suit and was chanting. Louder and louder their voices grew.

"KRIEG! KRIEG! KRIEG!"

Overlooking the spectacle, Yhwach broke into a satisfied smile. "Then Krieg is what you shall have..."

Turning away, he began to ascend back to his throne room, leaving Lenora stood above the Star Knights. Her mouth widened into a satisfied grin as she drank in the atmosphere.

"In one week we are to assemble at the Gate of the Sun," she boomed, still grinning. "I hope that you all are ready."


	2. Kriegserklärung

**Chapter 2: Kriegserklärung**

Ichigo Kurosaki was walking down the street leading to his house. The sun was just beginning to recede beneath the skyline, throwing numerous ever changing shadows of half-light over him. Orange light seeped over him, swathing his body to match his hair.

It had been several weeks since the incident with Ginjo Kujo, and he was just getting back into the swing of having his Soul Reaper powers back. Everything was slowly returning to normal.

However, something was nagging at him. Something that just didn't seem right. He felt uneasy.

Almost as if he were being watched.

* * *

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai sat at his desk musing over paperwork. The oil lamp at his side flickered, throwing a glow over the darkness around him. Placing down the pen, he drifted his hand over the desk.

As strange as it may sound, his missing arm itched. The phantom limb had been plaguing him on and off for the past several months. A "trophy" of war; he had refused prosthetics and even the promise of restoring it.

"For the office of the Head Captain, this really isn't very well guarded," a voice said, calling out clearly behind him.

Without missing a beat, Yamamoto turned to face the intruders. "Don't presume that I am so old and dishevelled that I am in need of security." He rose to his feet. "I alone am security enough."

Stood before Yamamoto was a group of six. All were swathed in a white cloak and wore a black mask. The foremost one was clapping his hands.

"Well look at you all brash and presenting yourself," he chuckled, holding his hands clasped together. "I must say, that's mighty impressive for someone your age."

Yamamoto didn't waver even for a second. His gaze narrowed and his pupils pinpricked. "I'm feeling generous today... If you remove yourself from my presence right now, I will let you off with a light charring."

"My, my," the masked man chuckled again. "Those are some big words. But alas... I am not here to fight you. I am here to deliver a message."

Yamamoto stopped briefly to listen.

"The Vandenreich is ready. This is a declaration of war." Beneath the mask, the man continued to laugh. "Soon, the Soul Society will be no more; and you, dear Head Captain, will be dead."

Grinning silently to himself, Yamamoto took a step forwards. "At first I thought you rude, but now I see the truth. You are insane." He gripped his cane tightly in his remaining right hand. "No one in their right mind would face me head on and declare war so brazenly!"

As the cane dissipated, revealing his Zanpakuto, Yamamoto let out a hoarse cry. "Reduce all creation to ashes! Ryujin Jakka!"

Almost as if he were expecting this, the masked man raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. The wooden floor beneath the Head Captain's left foot instantly gave way, throwing the old man off-balance.

Waving his hand, the man laughed for one final time. "And with that, I bid you adieu."

The cloaked men vanished into a void of shadow.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki stood outside Urahara Shoten with a bemused look on his face. It was already past midnight when he had received the summons from the eccentric store owner. It would take him a week to remove that much paint.

Venturing forth into the shop, he called out into the darkness. "Tessai? Urahara? Jinta? Ururu?"

Advancing further into the dimly lit confines, he continued to search. Boxes and crates were stacked up to the ceiling and the whole room smelled of moth-balls. Dust filled the air as he dug through the clutter looking for the door to the back room.

The lights suddenly clicked on, illuminating Ichigo and temporarily blinding him. "Hello, Ichigo-chan~!"

Ichigo glared into the gap in the boxes, finding himself nose-to-nose with the owner of the shop. Like usual his hat was pulled down to the bridge of his nose, shrouding his face in shadow.

"What did you want, Urahara?"

Parting the boxes, Urahara smiled slightly before sitting Ichigo down on the floor and joining him. "There appears to be a bit of a situation in the Soul Society."

Weighing the words in his mind, Ichigo sat in silence and listened.

"Now this isn't anything that would affect you here, but I felt the need to tell you. Full disclosure. At the moment, it appears that things are under control, however, should anything go wrong, you may be needed to step in."

Urahara held Ichigo's gaze; their eyes locked in subtle understanding.

"What... What's happened in the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked slowly.

"We have happened," arose a cheerful voice behind him.

Whirling around, Ichigo saw a man leaning against the edge of the entrance to Urahara Shoten. His hair was neatly slicked back with oil and held a blue sheen to it. Affixed to the side of his face was a fragment of an enamel-like mask. He wore a pure white military uniform.

"My name is Leon," the man smirked, bowing. "And I have been sent here to deal with you, Ichigo Kurosa-"

The foot that connected with his face was the last thing that Leon expected. Flying through the air, carried by the force of the kick, he caved in the wall across the street from the shop as his back found brick.

Dusting himself off, he broke into another smirk as he eyed Ichigo's Shinigami form with glee.

"What business does an Arrancar want with me?" Ichigo asked, raising his oversized Zanpakuto; the blade glinting in the moonlight.

"Now who said that I was an Arrancar?" Leon chuckled, leaping into the sky and raising his left arm. Blasting from his wrist, blue reishi encircled his hand before forming into the shape of a sword.

Ichigo's eyes opened in surprise as Leon fell upon him, slashing down at his head.

"What's going on?!" he shouted, blocking the slash with his blade. "Arrancar don't form blades from Reishi!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Leon said, forcing Ichigo's blade back, sending him flying into the air. "And I told you already!" He pointed the blade up towards Ichigo. "I'm not an Arrancar!"

Several blasts of spirit energy rocketed from the blade towards the airborne shinigami. Detonating fiercely, the night sky was illuminated by explosions of blue fire.

Ichigo emerged from the smoke, burned up his left forearm. Gritting his teeth, he glared down at the man.

He had seen something that he thought he would never see on another person besides Uryu. Hanging from Leon's wrist was a Quincy cross.

"Who are you?!" Ichigo shouted down at the ground.

"I already told you!" Leon laughed, beginning to launch wave after wave of projectiles at the Shinigami. "My name is Leon!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Ichiro replied, slicing through the blasts that came his way, and dodging those he couldn't cut. "Why do you have a Quincy cross?!"

"Maybe if you defeat me, you'll find out," he shouted in response, dashing to the side, down a narrow alleyway, all the while firing off projectiles. "But at this pace you won't be anywhere near good enough! You're going to have to use Bankai!"

Ichigo noted the taunt. Squinting his eyes, he kicked off of the solidified platform on reishi on which he stood and sped towards the ground. Swinging his Zanpakuto in a wide arc upwards, he ripped up slabs of concrete as he slashed at Leon.

Blocking the swipe with his Reishi blade, Leon allowed the force of the strike to carry him upwards before suspending himself on airborne Reishi. Continuing his barrage of blasts, the alleyway was completely illuminated in blue light.

"Come on Kurosaki, use your Bankai! Show it to me!"

_More taunting, _Ichigo thought to himself. _He's leading me towards something... I can tell._

Kicking off of the ground, Ichigo dodged the blasts mid-air and took another swipe at the apparent Quincy. Again it was blocked.

Leon grinned at Ichigo over the clashed blades. "Shall I take that as a no?"

_Only one way to find out. I'm calling his bluff._

Forcing back Leon's blade, he flung his opponent through the sky.

"BAN-KAI!"

Spiritual pressure tore through the air, illuminating the skyline of Karakura-cho in white light.

Leon's smile widened in glee. Dispersing his reishi sword, he pulled a medallion from his pocket and held it in front of his body at arm's length.

_This is it, Ichigo Kurosaki! _he thought to himself. _Your Bankai ends here!_

What happened next occurred so fast that Leon didn't even have time to register it.

Ichigo, for lack of a better word, vanished. Reappearing behind the supposed Quincy, the Substitute Soul Reaper raised his jet black blade before slashing downwards. The arm in which Leon held the medallion was cleaved off in one strike.

"Every time you mentioned my Bankai, you glanced down at your pocket," Ichigo said, pressing the tip of his blade into Leon's neck. "What was that thing that you had in your hand? And what does it have to do with my Bankai?"

Leon gritted his teeth. Glaring at Ichigo, he clasped the bloody stump that used to be his arm.

"You will pay for that, Ichigo Kurosaki…" he spat out; venom in his words. "You wait… Once the Vandenreich attacks you will pray for death. Watch the earth crumble beneath you; your world shatter."

"The Vanden-?" Ichigo began, however he was never allowed to finish his sentence.

Light tore through the night sky. Blood, stark red, spattered onto the rooftops below. The top half of Leon's body was completely obliterated.

Ichigo flinched backwards and raised his blade in a defensive stance. His eyes darted around the area, attempting to place where the blast had come from.

"Tut tut tut…" muttered a voice, cutting through the darkness. "Loose lips sink ships."

Ichigo whirled around to see an elderly man with a burn scar across the right hand side of his face. He wore a white double-breasted military uniform and in his hand he held a quincy's bow. Reaching up to stroke his curly grey beard, he began to absent-mindedly hum to himself.

"As cities go, I've seen better," he mused. "Though Japanese architecture has never been a great love interest of mine."

"Who are you?" Ichigo shouted at him, tightening his stance.

The old man broke into a smile. "I am Sternritter F- Gillaume DaVinci." He raised his bow and pointed it at the orange-haired youth. "And it's my job to keep you occupied."


	3. Anfang des Kriegs

**Chapter** **3**: **Anfang des Krieges**

"Your majesty..." Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) approached Yhwach's throne, her hands clasped behind her back. "Gillaume has engaged Ichigo Kurosaki in Karakura Town."

"Then Leon failed to acquire his Bankai?" Yhwach said, his voice low and betraying nothing.

"Yes sir," Lenora replied, her vision placed slightly to His Majesty's right, so as to not look him directly in the eye.

"At least he was able to slow him down somewhat." Rising to his feet, Yhwach walked past the Sternritter; his black cloak billowing behind him. "And if Gillaume is the one to detain him, then this works splendidly to our advantage."

Lenora turned to follow him. Placing her hands on her hips, she kept pace with him.

"Send out the order," Yhwach said, breaking into a wide smile. "The Vandenreich is going to invade the Soul Society."

* * *

**"An order from His Majesty to the Sternritter:**

**One of the five War Potentials, Ichigo Kurosaki, is currently engaging our forces in Karakura-Cho.**

**All Sternritter are to immediately prepare for war and gather at the Gate of the Sun. The Vandenreich is going to invade the Soul Society."**

* * *

Sternritter Q, Ferdinand Savange, stood gathered with the rest of the Sternritter forces. Clenched between his teeth was a thick cigar. Taking a drag, he removed it from his mouth and breathed out the smoke.

"I heard that Gillaume was the one that engaged Ichigo Kurosaki," he said, glancing down from his considerable height at the man beside him.

Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) returned the look as he glanced up at the large tanned man. "At least we know that he won't be interfering in the invasion. Gillaume's abilities are troublesome even at the best of times."

"I think it would be wise not to underestimate the boy," Ferdinand muttered, removing his sunglasses and adjusting the white fedora that he wore before continuing to smoke. "He's listed as a War Potential for a reason."

Legion stood in silence for several minutes, seemingly agreeing with his comrade.

In this brief interlude in conversation, Ferdinand pulled a distasteful expression as he glanced over Legion's attire. Old and weather-beaten, Legion was a man in his early fifties, but the appearance his clothes made him seem much older. He wore a tattered and dishevelled white military uniform, stained and torn from years of use. On his feet he wore no shoes.

Ferdinand, on the other hand, always made a point to be well-dressed. For this reason, he often held his comrade in contempt.

"What say we make a bet?" Legion suddenly grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.

Ferdinand dragged on his cigar, with intrigue in his eyes. "Go on."

"First one of us to kill ten Shinigami wins." Legion's grin widened as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh please, you're not still hung up about the speed thing, are you?" Ferdinand scoffed, puffing smoke from between his lips.

"I'm still hung up about it because you're not willing to admit that I'm faster," Legion replied, scowling.

"Having the fastest Hirenkyaku doesn't mean you're the fastest Sternritter."

"Are you two still having that ridiculous argument?" suddenly came a voice from behind the pair.

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) was sat cross-legged on the floor behind the two men, his hands splayed on the ground behind him. Green eyes peered up discerningly around the point of his fringe that rested on his nose.

"Are you still sitting on any flat surface you can find?" Ferdinand replied, smirking. "Some things are just in our nature."

"I guess so," Onmar replied, returning the smirk. "So, would you mind if I got in on the bet?"

"No," replied Legion, turning to face the young man and placing his hands inside his pockets. "With you it wouldn't even be a contest."

"Are you implying that you could kill ten Shinigami before I could?" he asked, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. Smoke billowed from his lips.

"You know full well what I'm implying. With you it's not a matter of speed."

Onmar only responded by wrapping his white cloak tighter around his body. Beneath it, he was shivering.

Stood next to where Onmar was sitting, Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "If you're looking for more people to join in your bet, why not Joseph?"

"Ha!" Ferdinand laughed. "Please; I'd be better off asking one of the Soldat to join in."

"Really?" Onmar asked, tilting his head to the side. "But I thought he was one of the ones in the top tier?"

"He is, but if we're counting kills he wouldn't even get one." Ferdinand finished his cigar and crushed it underfoot. "Joseph doesn't fight to kill. He drags out fights and cripples them instead."

Eyeing a man across the room, Basilisk tugged at the fabric mask that rested on his nose.

Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) was a tall and trim man with messy black hair. Discerning green eyes stared off into space through his half-frame glasses. The collar of his military jacket was pulled up high, emerging from the top of his cloak and touching his ears. Joseph checked the time on the wristwatch that he wore on his left wrist.

"He doesn't look like a sadist to me?" Onmar murmured softly. "He just looks like… a guy."

"Exactly why he's so dangerous," Legion said, tilting his head to the side and turning away from the men. Advancing through the crowd, he pulled his right hand out of his pocket and waved over his shoulder. "I'll see you on the battlefield."

"Awful man…" Ferdinand muttered, half to himself, as Legion walked away. "No sense of class at all." He readjusted the fedora perched on his head.

Basilisk glanced at him. "If you dislike him, why would you talk to him?"

"I like to tease him," replied Ferdinand, lighting another cigar and taking a deep drag. "There's not much else you can do around here. It's at least some entertainment."

"I wonder how Gillaume's fight with the boy is going?" Onmar mused. "Now that is something I would like to see. Some real entertainment."

* * *

_What is going on?_

Ichigo slashed out with Tensa Zangetsu at his enemy's side. Gillaume raised his left arm and swatted the blade away.

_I keep cutting him, but nothing is breaking skin!_ Ichigo thought, slashing out, only to have it slapped aside once again. _This isn't right._

Gillaume raised the bow in his right hand and fired off several arrows at Ichigo. The Substitute Shinigami dodged them narrowly by ducking to his right, leaving the shots to rocket over his shoulder and explode in the sky.

The Quincy, in spite of his age, was deceptively fast. Though Ichigo still held the advantage in terms of speed, Gillaume's reactions were fast enough to exploit any opening that presented itself. He was easily on-par with Captain Class Shinigami.

Leaping backwards, the Sternritter increased the distance between himself and the orange-haired youth. Firing yet more arrows through the sky, he squinted his eyes.

Detonating with extreme force, the arrows sent shockwaves through the night atmosphere as smoke dwarfed Ichigo's form.

"I've got to give it to you!" he suddenly called out from within the smoke. "Your arrows are a lot stronger than Ishida's. Though it has been a while since I've been hit with them."

As the haze cleared, Ichigo was revealed. In his free hand he held the spirit projectile in a tight grip. His enemy's eyes opened wide as he launched it right back where it had come from.

"Did you say Ishida?" questioned Guillame, dodging the arrow. "Uryu Ishida?"

"What's it to you?" Ichigo shouted in response, kicking off of the airborne reishi and lunging at Guillame.

"Uryu Ishida's Heilig Pfeil are weaker than mine?" He blocked another slash with his forearm and retreated again. "I wonder if that's true…"

"What are you talking about?"

Guillame smiled ever so slightly. "I don't think I'm at liberty to say." He raised his bow and peered along the length at the Soul Reaper.

Ichigo dodged the oncoming blast by sidestepping. Tearing past him, the blue flash vanished into the night. Once more leaping forwards, Ichigo-

-felt a blast against his back. The explosion ripped through the air, catapulting Ichigo into one of the rooftops below.

Raising his head, Ichigo realised four more arrows were hurtling towards him from above. Rolling to the side, he avoided the blasts, allowing them to explode against the roof.

Jumping back into the sky, Ichigo weaved out of the way of successive arrows. No sooner had he done so, they turned about themselves and headed straight for him.

"So that's your trick!" Ichigo shouted, dodging over and over. "You can control your arrows! But it seems you're only limited to four at once!"

Spiralling through the air, Ichigo continued to avoid the arrows. All the while, Guillame waved his arms; like a conductor orchestrating a symphony.

"I'm significantly impressed, Mr Kurosaki," he called out. "Your speed is nothing to be sniffed at." He continued to flick his arms; following Ichigo's movements. "So how about we up the ante a bit, hm?"

Before he could even register what the Quincy had said, Ichigo noticed a strange sensation. Almost as if he had no control over his legs, his feet began to slip over the airborne reishi. Skidding through the air, Ichigo tripped and fell into the sky below.

_What the hell?!_

Once more attempting to gain traction, the same thing happened again. Sliding through the night sky, he was soon surrounded by a swarm of arrows.

"Like I said, Mr Kurosaki," Gillaume said, as the arrows collided with the youth. "I am Sternritter F." He broke into a smile. "My ability is known as The Friction."

* * *

Renji Abarai was in the Sixth Division barracks. Laying back, hands behind his head, his eyes found focus in the ceiling.

Ever since the Captain Commander's office had been invaded the previous night, the whole of the Seireitei had been a bustle. War preparations were in full swing, and not a single Shinigami was left without a job. Now that it was nighttime, he was finally getting a break.

The tatami mat felt good beneath his back, and he soon found himself drifting into a haze of sleep.

Screams snapped him from the welcoming embrace of rest.

Leaping to his feet, Renji ran for the door. Even before he reached it, he could see the fire. Towering blue pillars dwarfed the buildings of the Seireitei as they shot into the sky and blazed brilliantly.

"What on earth..." he gasped, gripping the wooden railing in front of him in a white-knuckle grip. "You!" Renji shouted at an unseated Shinigami that was running away from the closest tower of flames. "What's going on?!"

"I-invaders!" he stammered. "The fire, i-i-it won't go out!"

"Shit..." Renji muttered under his breath.

Snatching up his Zanpakuto, he vaulted the railing and ran through the streets of the Court of Pure Souls. As the fire drew closer, he could feel it. A monstrous spiritual pressure. It was practically on the same level as a Captain.

Turning the final corner towards the fire, Renji laid eyes on a man. Long pure white hair fell around his face and down the back of the long white cloak that he wore. Bright silver eyes shone out of his face.

Recognising him immediately as an enemy, Renji drew his sword. "Roar, Zabimaru!" Morphing into its trademark segmented appearance, Renji's Zanpakuto whipped and extended through the air at the man.

Littering the floor around him were numerous bodies of Soul Reapers.

Flicking his eyes to the side, the man never once broke from his calm demeanour. Lifting his left arm, he knocked the blade aside and took a step forwards.

Appearing in front of the Liuetennant, he grabbed him around the scruff of the neck and threw him over his shoulder.

Landing on his back, Renji looked up, only to see the tip of a sword hurtling downward towards his face.

Rolling to the side, he swung Zabimaru upwards and locked blades with the white-haired man.

"To think you survived my first strike," the man said, looking over the blades and into Renji's glaring eyes. "You must be quite powerful. Captain level, even." He pushed hard against Renji's sword and leaned forwards. "What's your name?"

"Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six," he ground out through gritted teeth. Whoever this man was, he was inhumanly strong. It was taking every ounce of strength Renji had to stop his arms from buckling under the pressure.

"I am Sternritter L, Asuma Godai," the man said. "Make sure you remember that after I've killed you."

Zabimaru's segments separated; the sword extending. Sidestepping around Asuma, Renji flicked his wrist up, wrapping the length of his sword around the enemy's own blade.

"You mean, when I've killed you?"

Asuma's face barely changed. Dispersing his sword into reishi, he freed himself from the Liutenant's trap and turned sideways in one swift motion. Planting his foot firmly in the Shinigami's side, he kicked him through no less that three buildings.

Rising out of the rubble, Renji roared and swung his sword, yet again. Grabbing hold of the top section of the blade, Asuma yanked on it hard, dragging the Liutenant towards him. Striking out with his left hand, he punched Renji across the face, once more sending him flying.

Flicking his hand to the side, Asuma removed the blood from his knuckles. "If this is all you're capable of, I expected much better."

* * *

"What's the level of fatalities?!"

"We're not sure! Activating the Spiritual Pressure Radar now!"

"Has anyone got contact with Squad 4?! We need medics out there!"

"Sir, we've got a figure coming in. It's... Kami... It's Six-hundred and twelve and counting!"

Akon began to sweat as he looked down at the control panel in front of him. "Six hundred and twelve..." He gritted his teeth. "What the hell is going on?! It's only been five minutes!"


	4. March of the Starcross

**Chapter 4: March of the Starcross**

Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu, the Third Seats of the Thirteenth Division stood with their swords drawn, facing the pillar of blue fire ahead of them. Gathered at their flanks were a unit of no less than thirty unseated Shinigami.

If an enemy was going to attack them, he would be coming from the fire. Liutennant Kuchiki had said so when she radioed them.

Being closest to the pillar they arrived before her.

The sound of footsteps perforated the air as a man in a white cloak began to nonchalantly emerge from the blue light.

"Wow, there sure are a lot of you…" he muttered to himself, placing his hands in his pockets.

Sentaro rushed towards him; sword held in front of his body.

"I've got to say, it's much warmer here than in the Silbern," the man said, not even registering the attack.

Tapping one boot-clad foot against the floor, the assailant let out a low mutter of "G-9."

All around him, Shinigami were crushed into the ground. Mid-swing, Sentaro found himself dragged down under his own weight, before slamming into the concrete floor. As his skull was crushed into the ground, his blood mixed with that of the other Soul Reapers around him.

Kiyone was bent backwards, her spine creaking before eventually giving way and snapping cleanly in half.

"Hmm," hummed Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G), glancing around at the display of corpses before sitting on a nearby wall. "This is far more than ten… I guess they were right excluding me from the bet."

* * *

"We're currently detecting enemy reiatsu in no less than sixteen locations! Shinigami reiatsu is also disappearing in locations not marked by enemy presence, so we can assume that those sent from the investigation team were killed before they could transfer their data!"

"The reiatsu of Thirteenth Division Third Seats, Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu have vanished!"

"Thirty six soldiers dead in area West 204!"

"Sixty one dead in 366!"

_This is insane…_ Akon thought to himself. _Over one thousand dead and we're not even seven minutes into the invasion. What the hell is going on out there?!_

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki held his sword confidently in front as he eyed the man emerging from the fire in front of him.

"Good evening," suddenly came a voice from the flames.

Emerging ahead of Byakuya, a man with scruffy black hair and glasses broke into a pleasant smile. Holding out his arm, he gestured as if he wanted to shake Byakuya's hand.

Striking out with Senbonzakura's petals, Byakuya stepped back to increase the distance. The man's hand was caught in the slash, however remained unharmed.

"You're awfully pleasant for someone who has just invaded us," Byakuya stated with slow purpose.

"Well I'm not doing this by choice," the man said, breaking into a smile. "I'm just following orders." He calmly checked the time on his wristwatch; Byakuya all the while eyeing him cautiously. "I can help but feel like we go off on the wrong foot. My name is Joseph Fehler, and I have been given the designation of M."

"And what does that mean?" Byakuya asked, flicking the hilt of his sword upwards and sending a swarm of flower petals flying towards Joseph.

Joseph leaped backwards and held his hands up beside his head. "Whoa, hostile. And to answer your question: I think that's something you may have to find out for yourself."

"I'm in no mood for games," Byakuya stated, launching more of the luminous pink petals through the air towards the man.

Ducking and dodging the attacks, Joseph whistled between his teeth. "Something tells me that you're not overly fond of me."

Ignoring the remark, the Captain continued to direct the cherry blossoms. "You're quite fast. And the method you're using isn't Shunpo or Sonido… It's Hirenkyaku. You're a Quincy."

Again, Joseph smiled. "Very astute of you, Captain Kuchiki."

"It appears you know my name," Byakuya said, maintaining the attacks with his Zanpakuto. He landed a bow against his enemy's arm. Yet again it failed to cut. "And still you decided to fight me, knowing who I was?"

"It's precisely because of who you are that I was sent to fight you," Joseph explained. "You should be grateful. I doubt any of the others would be as polite as I am."

"Grateful?" Byakuya asked; his voice deadpan and flat. "To you, who are mercilessly invading the Soul Society? Gratitude is not what I shall be sending your way; nor is compassion." He withdrew the petals back into the form of his sword before flipping it upside down, the blade pointing towards the ground. "I am going to crush you." He released the sword, allowing it to fall.

Joseph smiled pleasantly and stood up straight.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

* * *

Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad Ten, clashed blades with his adversary.

The man which he fought had long white hair, tied neatly behind his head in a ponytail, and pale eyes, like chips of dirty ice. His face was extraordinarily beautiful; something that initially led the Captain to think that he was a woman.

"I'd really rather not do this," the man said, lazily. "Fighting isn't really my thing. I'd much rather just sit this out."

"You expect me to believe that?" Toshiro said, forcefully, through gritted teeth. His sword grated against the reishi blade that his opponent wielded.

"Believe what you want, Captain Hitsugaya," the man said, in a disinterested fashion. Forcing the Captain's blade back, he engaged him in a furious flurry of sword strokes.

"You've got me at a disadvantage," Toshiro said, parrying the strikes and throwing his own. "You know my name, yet I don't know yours."

"You may call me Snow," the white-haired individual said, turning sideways and allowing the Soul Reaper's strike to pass him by. "I am the Sternritter who has been blessed with the letter Y."

"Am I supposed to know what the letter means?" Toshiro grunted, swinging his Zanpakuto wide in a slash at his enemy's face.

"You will understand soon enough," Snow replied, leaning backwards to avoid the swipe and retreating several paces.

Gripping his Zanpakuto tightly, Toshiro swung it in a wide arc. "Sit atop the frosted heavens! Hyorinmaru!"

Ice and water erupted from his blade before taking the form of a large streamlined dragon. Whipping through the air, the beast slammed into Snow, sending him flying into the side of a building and freezing him against the surface, pinning him.

"I'm sorry to say this, Captain, but this is nowhere near enough to detain me." Breaking free of the ice, Snow sprinted towards Toshiro, firing a series of projectiles from his sword as he ran.

Dodging the blast, Toshiro slashed out again, firing yet more ice at the man.

Lifting his sword, Snow carved through the ice headed for him before striking downwards at the Captain and locking blades with him. "I already told you. You're going to need to do better than that. If you're not going to at least consider performing Bankai, then I'm afraid you will never be able to defeat me."

"If it's my Bankai you want…" Toshiro said, through gritted teeth, before forcing his opponent back. "Then don't regret it when you're dead."

Snow took several steps back and dispersed his weapon back into reishi. Preparing himself, he flexed his fingers.

"Bankai!" shouted Toshio. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

* * *

Captain Sui-Feng of the Second Division stood inspecting the surrounding area. Echoes of explosions and screams could be heard in the distance as the Shinigami forces engaged the invaders and were mown down by their overwhelming power.

The area around her was littered with corpses. Easily over a dozen Shinigami had lost their lives in that area, and yet-

There wasn't an enemy in sight.

_This isn't right,_ she thought to herself. I can still sense the enemy. _They haven't vacated the area; I can still feel their Reiatsu. So why can I not see him?_

Clenching her fist, she felt to cold metal of her Suzumebachi against her skin.

She was just about to search the surrounding area when she heard the shot. Diving to the side, she moved so fast that she surprised even herself. There was an explosion against the side of a building in front of where she had previously stood, and a deep gash was opened on her left cheek.

_Bastard tried to snipe me! _she thought to herself, hurriedly leaping to her feet and scanning the area again; this time focussing more on buildings nearing the furthest edge of her vision.

Spotting a man on a building at least half a Ri away, to her left, Sui-Feng kicked off of the ground and activated Shunpo. She reached the rooftop in several seconds.

Having noticed her movement, the enemy was already in the process of retreating to another location. Breaking into a wide grin, he began to taunt the Captain. "Very astute of you, Captain!" he laughed. "I thought you would never catch on to where I was!"

Closing the increasing distance, Sui-Feng struck out with her bladed finger, cutting the man up the side of his exposed right arm. No sooner had she done so, a black crest in the shape of a flower spread over his skin.

"That's one hit," she said; her eyes emotionless as the man hurriedly retreated even further.

Blood splashed from his arm and covered the ground in his wake. A prominent vein bulged from the side of his bald head. "Shit.."

"Don't think you can get away from me," the Captain said, giving chase and striking him again across the back, causing another crest to appear on the back of his long white cloak.

Turning back on himself, the bald man raised his long white rifle and fired off a projectile of spirit energy. While the shot missed, it was enough to persuade the female Captain to cease the chase for a brief period.

Touching down on a building two streets over from where Sui-Feng stood, the man began to laugh to himself. Standing up straight, he swung his arms out to his sides in a theatrical manner.

"That was a big mistake, Captain," he chuckled. His amber eyes were narrowed in amusement. "If I were you, I wouldn't have spilled my blood so nonchalantly."

"And why is that, Quincy?" she asked with an amused twinkle in her eye.

"Because you don't know just how dangerous a thing to do that is!" He continued to laugh. "My name is Mann Elle, and I am Sternritter Z!" He pointed at her feet and broke into a wide grin. "And you, you foolish little girl, have just stepped inside my 'Zone'!"

"Z for Zone," Sui-Feng said, with mock interest. "Did you come up with that all by yourself?"

"I wouldn't mock me if I were you," he laughed. "Not when you're surrounded like that."

Seemingly appearing out of thin-air, no less than fifty assailants rushed towards the Captain. Ducking and dodging the blows, Sui-Feng delivered her own counterattacks on the individuals; dispatching them one by one.

Every time she struck an enemy, however, a curious thing occurred. Their form would mysteriously vanish. Dissipating like ash in the wind.

"I see what's going on," Sui-Feng smirked as she continued to dodge and attack the enemies. "Anything that steps into your 'zone' becomes trapped in this illusion."

Stopping in her tracks, she began to stare smugly into Mann's eyes.

"So as long as I convince myself that they're only illusions, nothing can harm me."

As soon as she said this, one of the illusions behind her struck her around the back of the head. Lurching forwards, her eyes opened wide in shock.

Recovering from the strike, Sui-Feng just about managed to block another blow from an illusionary enemy to her left. Counterattacking, she took out the two forms, reducing them to mist.

"You're right that they're illusions," Mann explained. "But it's a mistake to think they can't harm you. That was the move of an amateur. I thought you were better than that, Captain." He began to chuckle. "And it's not just soldiers that I can conjure."

Manifesting in the air above her, several large stones began to plummet through the night sky. Diving to the side, Sui-Feng avoided the rocks as they crushed the apparitions that she was previously fighting.

"Combat challenges are always a bit more fun with some obstacles thrown in," he said, smirking. "I used this ability to train most of the Soldat. A good number of them ended up dying; but what great loss is that. The weak are nothing more than tools for the strong to use as they please."

As he explained, Sui-Feng continued to dodge falling rocks, and some newly manifested bladed pendulums. All the while she was assaulted by soldiers.

Mann lifted his reishi rifle and took aim at the Captain. "So tell me: Are you nothing more than a tool?"


	5. Kill the Shadow

**Chapter 5: Kill the Shadow**

"Ban…Kai!"

The simultaneous shouts echoed throughout the Seireitei as several Captains all activated their Bankai. Spiritual pressure tore through the streets in bright blasts.

"Kinshara Butodan!"

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

"Kokujo Tengen Myo!"

No sooner had Captains Rose, Hitsugaya and Komamura activated their Bankai, a black flash seared into the sky. Crumbling and fading, their Bankais began to disappear around them.

Stood in front of them, clasping small metallic medallions, their respective opponents broke into smiles.

"What the…?" Toshiro stammered, looking down at his sword. "Hyorinmaru? Hyorinmaru!?"

* * *

"The Bankais have what?!" Akon shouted, whirling around to look at the Research and Development Division member that was reporting to him. His face was so wound up that the whites of his eyes formed almost perfect rings around his pupils.

"They've been stolen, sir!" the man said to him. "The Captains of Divisions three, seven and ten have all had their Bankai's stolen by the enemy!"

Akon hurriedly turned around and began to furiously type on his keyboard. "I'm still getting a signal from Captain Kuchiki's Bankai! Do you know why that one hasn't been stolen?"

"No, sir!"

"Shit…" Akon hissed through gritted teeth. "The Tentei-Kura! Now! We need to warn all of the other Captains not to use their Bankai!"

* * *

Byakuya heard the report and silently gritted his teeth.

He had already resorted to using his hands to direct Senbonzakura Kageyoshi towards his enemy, to make it faster. No matter what he did, however, he could not seem to land a single hit on Joseph.

However, that was not what was bothering him.

_Why isn't he trying to steal my Bankai?_

"Shall I take a peek into your mind?" Joseph said, smiling slightly as the pink light of the Bankai glared across his glasses. "You're wondering why I have not stolen your Bankai?"

Byakuya said nothing. Shredding more petals through the air, he aimed at the Quincy's head. Sailing over Joseph's shoulder, none of them found their mark.

"It would be rude," Joseph explained, pleasantly opening his palms and lifting his hands. "I don't want to leave you defenceless against me. That just wouldn't be right."

"Then you're a fool," Byakuya said, launching more and more attacks. Still nothing managed to hit the Sternritter.

"Am I?" Joseph asked, ducking and suddenly sprinting forwards. "It seems I'm avoiding your Bankai well enough."

Advancing closer to Byakuya, Joseph drew a thin metal pole from his belt. The tip burst into a blue stream of reishi and began to hum and vibrate violently.

Recognising the Seeleschneider, Byakuya pulled his outstretched hand back towards himself, causing the flower petals behind Joseph to chase after the Quincy. His vision was filled with pink and white as his enemy advanced on him.

It was then that Byakuya realised something.

_He's heading straight for my safe-zone!_ he thought. _Why else would he advance on me instead of retreating? The enemy is well-prepared, we know that much. Could it be that they knew about my fight with the Tsukishima boy? That must be it. My only choice is to dispel the safe-zone!_

As soon as Joseph moved within arms reach of him, Byakuya thrust out his right arm and clenched his fist, quickly.

Joseph side-stepped, leaving Byakuya completely exposed to his blades.

Hurriedly dashing to the side, the Captain as partially caught in his own attack. The entire of his left arm was shredded, as if he had been raked by a thousand razor blades. The sleeve of his shihakusho tore and flared up behind him, carried by the force of the attack.

_What on earth was that?_ Byakuya thought. _I was sure that he was going to attack me. How did I get caught up in his trap? This isn't like me._

"Well that was unfortunate," Joseph said, stepping back and pulling a concerned face. "I thought it would help if got in close and took a swing at you, but it seems your doing my work for me."

Byakuya ignored him, spinning back on himself and swinging his arm in a wide arc. Pink cherry blossoms swept through the air and cleaved into the ground, sweeping upwards towards Joseph.

Stepping to the side, Joseph leaned out of the way of the attack.

Lifting his right hand, the Quincy summoned a short white bow, formed from reishi. Two white orbs circled his wrist. Three arrows launched from his hand as he made a dash at Byakuya.

Raising his hand, it appeared that Byakuya was going to direct his blades towards the man again. Instead, he let out a hoarse shout. "Sokatsui!"

Fire leaped from his palm in a massive blast, towards the Sternritter. It was so huge that it dwarfed the surrounding buildings.

Unfortunately, that failed to deter Joseph. Leaping through the fire, he had used the Seeleschneider to cut through the Kido.

Hurriedly crossing his arms, Byakuya called petals from either side of his body and blocked the downward slash of his opponent.

_Why did I do that?_ Byakuya's thoughts screamed at him. _Seeleschneiders can cut through anything made of reishi and absorb it! What in God's name is going on?!_

* * *

Sajin Komamura leaped backwards through the rubble that scattered the area.

_What in God's name is going on?!_

The abilities that the Quincy he was fighting was using were like nothing he had ever seen before. He couldn't explain it, much less find a way to counter it.

Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) chuckled to herself and stood with one foot upon a piece of rubble; leaning down on her knee with her forearm.

Tomoko was a young woman in her twenties with short black hair, who stood at around five foot ten. Her eyes were green and her Sternritter uniform was tight, with a pleated skirt that reached just above her knees. On her feet, Tomoko wore knee high combat boots. Her hair was cut short, the fringe hanging close to her right eye.

"This is a lot easier than I thought it would be," she said, smirking. "I don't even need to use the Bankai that I stole from you."

The wolf-man growled. His yellow eyes glowed with a fierce fury. "TENKEN!"

Swinging his left fist forwards, Komamura roared. Appearing above his head, a gigantic humanoid fist sailed through the air towards the female Sternritter.

Ducking under the fist, Tomoko snapped her fingers. Blue and white sparks flickered through the darkness of the night. A large chunk of rubble fell from an overhanging building, intercepting the fist and allowing the Quincy an opening to lunge at the Shinigami Captain.

Komamura leaped back, attempting to gain some distance between himself and his opponent.

Again blue and white electricity crackled along the ground. Ice spread across the floor, causing Komamura to slip and fall backwards.

A projectile of spirit energy collided with the humanoid wolf's chest, exploding on contact and propelling him backwards. Crashing through the wall of a nearby building, he was submerged in debris.

Rising shakily from the rubble, Komamura looked to his enemy who, already, had continued her onslaught.

Lifting a rifle, formed from reishi, Tomoko unloaded round after round of reishi bullets on the Captain. Explosions ripped through the building, bringing the whole structure down on top of Komamura.

A gigantic disembodied arm, holding a sword, tore through the building. The roof was flung from the wreckage and crashed into a street nearby.

Glaring through a haze of dust, Komamura stared down the Quincy.

"Still trying to figure it out?" Tomoko smirked. "Don't worry about it, Mr Wolf. Not even my own comrades can understand my abilities."

Komamura only bared his teeth. Every predatory instinct in his body was being kicked into overdrive.

"Ready to give it another go?"

* * *

"Connect me to Ichigo Kurosaki," Akon said, slowly and purposefully. Clenching his fist against the control panel, he continued to sweat.

"But sir, the Captain would never-"

"I'm willing to accept full responsibility for my actions. Connect me to Kurosaki Ichigo's combat pass at once!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Akon," Hiyosu said, turning towards Akon, his wide eyes bulging. "We're connecting to the combat pass but he doesn't have it on his person. From the signal we're receiving, it appears the pass is located in Kisuke Urahara's Urahara Shoten!"

"What is going on over there...?" Akon muttered, distress lining his features. After contemplating for several seconds, sirens and screams blaring in his ears, he seemed to relent. "Connect me to Kisuke Urahara."

"But if the Captain found out about-" Hiyosu stammered, before being cut off.

"I know that, but right now we have no choice!" Akon shouted. "The situation is dire! We need all the help that we can get; now connect me to Urahara!"

* * *

**[Author's Note: Hey guys! How are you enjoying the story so far? Out of the Sternritter that have been revealed, who is your favourite? Which of the ones revealed do you want to fight which Captain? Are all these questions going to end soon?**

**Reviews will ALL be answered!]**


	6. The Dark Rescuer

**Chapter 6: The Dark Rescuer**

"Ah hello, Akon-San," Urahara chimed in, picking up his phone and flipping it open. "It's been so long." He waited for several seconds. "Ah, well I've been-"

**"What on earth are you doing?!"** blared Akon's voice from the phone. **"I just told you it was an emergency! I'm not asking about you, I need Kurosaki Ichigo, right now!"**

"Kurosaki-kun?" Urahara stated absent mindedly, glancing up into the sky from his seated position outside his store. "I'm afraid that wont be possible..."

**"What are you-?"**

"Right now, Kurosaki appears to be fighting a high-level Quincy, calling himself Sternritter F."

In the night sky above the Urahara shop, a bright explosion seared through the darkness.

* * *

"What?!" Akon gasped in disbelief, holding the receiver close to his face. "Kurosaki is fighting a Quincy in the world of the living?"

Behind him, all the members of the Research and Development Division began to gasp and stammer in confusion.

_The Quincys are even active in the world of the living? They must have attacked Kurosaki, knowing that we would try to contact him. I've heard stories about him... But to think that the enemy would factor him into their plans this much. That's why they must have attacked when they did..._

"What is the situation like over there?" Akon asked, hesitantly.

**"Right now they appear to be equal,"** came Urahara's response. **"No... I shouldn't quite say that. It appears the enemy is succeeding in subduing Ichigo's advance."**

The Research and Development Division gasped in one collective breath.

**"There was another enemy that appeared before the Sternritter,"** Urahara continued, calmly, **"that tried to do a very curious thing. It appeared as if he was attempting to seal Kurosaki-Kun's Bankai, however that seemed to have no effect. You wouldn't, by any chance, know anything about that, would you?"**

* * *

Ichigo continued to slip along the tops of roofs as he attempted to avoid oncoming arrows.

Ever since Gillaume had activated his ability, Ichigo could barely move. The speed of his Bankai was useless if he couldn't gain traction on the ground or airborne reishi.

Up in the air, Gillaume continued to conduct his arrows. Flicking his wrists ostentatiously, he prompted the projectiles to chase after the boy as he skidded over the roof of the apartment block below him.

What made Ichigo Kurosaki so dangerous was not his attacking power, but the speed at which he could move after activating his Bankai. The Quincys had realised that and chosen the perfect individual to detain him. With the ability of The Friction, Gillaume was able to reduce friction to zero within a radius of half a Ri around him.

Perfect to stop the Substitute Shinigami in his tracks.

Ichigo didn't know what to do. He was a sitting duck, as long as he was on the rooftop. Unfortunately, as long as the Quincy's strange ability was in effect, he wasn't able to escape, much less attack him.

Up until that point, Ichigo had made do with laying on his back and swatting aside oncoming projectiles with his sword.

However, every time he did so, he would skid across the roof, due to the explosive force, causing him to readjust himself.

That was when Ichigo had a thought.

_If the explosions of his arrows are moving me, then that means..._

Stabbing his thin black blade into the ground beside him, he gripped it tightly with both hands. Gritting his teeth, he glanced over his shoulder at the airborne enemy with fire in his eyes.

"Getsuga... TENSHO!"

Jet black spiritual energy erupted from his blade and ripped across the roof, exploding violently. Ichigo was launched through the air, towards the Sternritter, spinning as he went.

Eyes snapping open wide, Gillaume dispersed his arrows mid-flight and crossed his arms above his head, barely managing to block Ichigo's swing. Blood dripped down his sleeves as the blade sunk into his flesh and jammed in place.

"Very good, Ichigo Kurosaki," he said, praise in his voice as he looked up at the orange haired youth. "You managed to find a way to attack me and break my concentration."

Gillaume dodged to the side, allowing the sword to slip from his flesh and grasped Ichigo around the scruff of the neck. Lifting his free hand, he manifested a bow and prepared to fire the arrow.

A thin blast of red spiritual energy shot through the air and pierced the Quincy through his abdomen, severing his spinal chord.

Hurriedly turning towards the source of the blast, Ichigo laid eyes on Urahara. Pointing ahead of him, clasped in his hand, the tip of his cane was smoking slightly. The body of Gillaume crashed into the roof of the building beneath where he stood.

"I have to thank you, Kurosaki-Kun," Urahara said, lowering his cane. "Because of you, enemy loosened his guard, allowing me to land a fatal strike."

Catching a phone that Urahara tossed to him, Ichigo pulled a confused face.

"This is an emergency situation," Urahara explained. "You're needed urgently in the Soul Society. Akon-San will fill you in while I open the Senkaimon."

Hesitantly, Ichigo lifted the phone to his ear and listened intently.

**"Hello? Ichigo Kurosaki? This is Akon from the Research and Development Division."** There was a pause as he took an intake of breath. **"I need you to listen carefully, without overreacting."**

Ichigo clenched his fist tightly around his sword.

**"The Soul Society has been invaded by a hostile force. Currently our losses stand at 2245 soldiers, 16 seated officers and the two third seats of Division Thirteen; who's Reiatsu have all vanished."** There was another pause. In the background, Ichigo could hear numerous explosions. He gritted his teeth. **"However, these numbers are just a rough estimate; as they are increasing by the second. Numerous buildings have also been damaged. Overall, the true scope of our situation is impossible to calculate."**

"Hold on!" Ichigo suddenly blurted out, his hand trembling as he realised something. "When you say their Reiatsu has disappeared, does that mean that they're dead?!"

**"It's uncertain,"** Akon stated. **"We've been unable to confirm, however considering the circumstances it is extremely likely that that is the case."**

Ichigo swallowed hard.

**"Furthermore... The enemy has, in their ranks, at lease sixteen individuals possessing Reiatsu equal to or greater than that of a Captain. They're known as Sternritter and wear a variation of the Quincy's signature garb. Also... As it stands, the enemy has suffered Zero losses. We haven't won a single battle."**

Ichigo spoke slowly, with great weight. "The guy that I was fighting said that he was a Sternritter. He had this weird ability. He called himself F for The Friction. Does this mean that there are twenty five others, with weird powers?"

**"At the moment, we can't be sure. However, that seems increasingly likely. As of now we have no idea on what their abilities are."**

Ichigo gripped the phone so tightly that it almost started to crack in his grip.

**"However... There is one thing that we do know. It appears that the enemy has an ability that allows them to steal an individual's Bankai."**

"What?!" Ichigo shouted. "How is that even possible?!"

**"I also initially had doubts, however... This information has come directly from Squads Three, Seven and Ten, who have already had their Bankai's stolen."**

_No way...!_ Ichigo thought, his eyes opening wide.

"A good rule of thumb, Ichigo Kurosaki: Only expose your back to a corpse," suddenly arose a voice from behind Ichigo.

Spinning to the side, Ichigo attempted to turn around to see just who it was behind him, however only made it halfway before his entire body locked up. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gillaume, suspended from string-like wires of reishi.

"Welcome to my second Wall," the Quincy said. "Inside this three meter area around me, anything not touching my body is affected by the absolute force of friction. Movement is impossible. The very air around you becomes your prison." He smiled, teeth visible through his grey beard. His lips were stained by blood. "I hope you enjoy your time here, Ichigo Kurosaki."

* * *

Rojuro (Rose) Otoribashi, Captain of Squad Three whipped his Zanpakuto through the air. The gold cable tore through a nearby building, in a vain attempt to land a strike on his enemy.

"How many times do I have to tell you," the Sternritter said; his shaggy grey hair and matted beard whipping around his face as he avoided the attack. "I'm the fastest Sternritter. There is no way you're going to be able to injure me by flailing wildly like that."

Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) pulled out a silver medallion the size of his palm and nonchalantly tossed it into the air, before catching it.

"It's not a good day for you," he mused. "First you find yourself up against me, and secondly you lose your Bankai."

Rose ignored him and struck out with the whip again. Legion thrust out his hand and caught Kinshara the second it reached his peripheral vision. Gripping the golden rope tightly, he eyed the flower bud at the tip.

"Kinshara Sokyoku Dai Juichuban," Rose said, tapping against a segment of the whip. A musical note resonated in the surrounding area as the segment he touched began to glow. "Izayoi Bara."

Light shot up the length of the Zanpakuto, until it reached Legion's fist. Exploding outwards, with great force, a shock wave of sound cracked through the night. Legion released the whip and stumbled forwards, his eyes flinching closed in surprise as his left eardrum nearly gave way.

Activating Shunpo, Rose appeared in front of the Quincy and prepared himself to attack.

Realising what the Shinigami had done, Legion gritted his teeth. Hooking the looped end of his cane around the Captain's ankle, he pulled Rose's feet out from underneath him and kicked dust into his downed opponent's eyes, before using Hirenkyaku to retreat to a safe distance.

"Dirty tactics, dirty tactics," Rose muttered, half to himself, as he rose from the ground and rubbed the dirt from his eyes. "How un-artistic of you..."

Legion scoffed. "Call it what you want; battles aren't supposed to be artistic." He lifted his white cane and drew a string of reishi from the side. The walking stick morphed into a bow. "This is war... And war is an ugly thing."

* * *

All across the Seireitei, the Stealth Force were busy planting transmission swords across the battlefield.

The Tentei Kura was far too taxing to maintain, not to mention a drain on valuable spirit energy. Through the swords, the Shinigami would be able to maintain communication without the side effects of Kido dampening their ability to do so.

Co-ordinating the effort, the Research and Development Division furiously worked from their Lab.

**"Attention!"** blared Rin's voice from the numerous blades; reaching the ears of the Shinigami. **"To all Captains and Lieutenants currently within the Seireitei: The Subsitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki is currently on his way to the Soul Society!"**

The Soul Reapers listened intently as they fought against their enemy.

**"Furthermore, we have been able to confirm that the Quincy enemy is unable to steal Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai!"**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captian of Squad Twelve pulled a face brimming with disgust. "Damn that Akon, acting without orders..."

Elsewhere, the giant form of a man with shaggy black hair began to tremble with anticipation. His had gripped his sword tightly.

"Excellent!" Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the Eleventh Division laughed to himself, breaking into a psychotic grin. "Ichigo is coming here!"

* * *

"Prepare for stabilisation of the Senkaimon!"

"Manifest it in Sector Central 20! We'll open in on Sokyoku Hill!"

"Solidify the Dangai!"

Akon gripped his palms tightly as he explained the situation to Ichigo. "This information has come directly from Squads Three, Seven and Ten, who have already had their Bankai's stolen."

All around him, the Division was in pandemonium. Preparations were being made for Ichigo's arrival, while numerous others monitored the situation on the ground. Yet more of them were attempting to contact Shinigami in the world of the living, advising them to stay away.

Akon gritted his teeth.

That was when he felt it.

A deep rumbling assaulted the air, gaining the collective attention of the Division almost immediately. The ground began to shudder and shake violently beneath their feet. Rubble fell from the ceiling above their heads, prompting several of them to scream.

The entire Research Institute was lifted into the sky.

Rubble and metal fell through the air beneath it as it hovered in place. Within the building, the staff began to scream and panic.

A man in a white cloak watched the building with a wide smile plastered across his face. His arms were raised to his sides and he soon began to tremble with glee.

"Oh what tragic sanity you've all imprisoned yourselves in," he said, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "So you want me to save you?! Do you want me to set you free?!"

The whole building was launched into the sky with so much force it began to break apart. Desperately trying to escape, numerous members of the research teams began to leap from the windows and plummet to the ground.

Landing several miles away, the building crumbled and shattered in an explosion of rubble and dust.

The cloaked Sternritter watched the display, all the while laughing like a lunatic.

* * *

The phone was still pressed up against the side of Ichigo's face. Held in place by the overwhelming friction.

Ichigo could only listen to the screams of fear and despair as the line was disconnected.


	7. 溶融氷

**Chapter 7****:** **溶融氷**** [****Yoyu Kori****]**

All around Toshiro Hitsugaya, a blizzard was raging. The snow and hail so thick that he was struggling to see. Wind beat against his body fiercely.

He should have been used to the sensation of snow and ice. However, this was only true when it came to that created by himself. This snow storm, however, was caused by...

"The Yuki-Oni," Snow (Sternritter Y) stated, his womanly appearance slowly appearing as the blizzard parted around him. His white ponytail began to whip fiercely around his face. Protruding from his forehead were two sharp, pointed horns. "That is the meaning of my Shrift."

* * *

An Oni, in traditional Japanese folklore is a type of Youkai, or demon.

Typically Oni take on a humanoid form and possess a variety of appearances, but two things are always consistent. One is the presence of a pair of horns atop the forehead. The second is the possession of supernatural abilities.

The term Oni was originally derived from "on", a reading of a particular kanji character meaning to hide or conceal. This is because Oni were originally invisible spirits or Gods that cause disasters, disease or other unpleasant things.

Some Oni were even said to be able to control the weather.

* * *

Toshiro lunged forwards and swiped at the Quincy's head. No sooner had he done so, a pillar of ice shot up out of the ground and blocked the strike.

"It's useless," Snow stated, calmly.

Turning his palm upwards, the Sternritter flicked his index finger in towards his palm. A spike of ice protruded from the ground and pierced the Captain through the torso.

"This truly is a wonderful Bankai," he stated, his voice soft. In his left hand, he held the medallion in a firm but gentle grip. On his back, a pair of giant wings, formed from ice glittered with liquid fire. "And it compliments my own abilities so well. I should thank you for this opportunity, young Captain."

Toshiro screamed, blood slipping from his lips and down his chin, before chilling into deep red icicles. Pushing his blade harder, he sliced through the pilar of ice that had blocked his strike and landed a blow against his enemy's neck.

"Useless," Snow said, softly. He had covered his neck with a layer of ice, blocking the attack. "There is no way that you could ever defeat your Bankai, using only your Shikai."

The ice shard impaling the Captain shrank back into the ground, causing blood to spill from his body and splash against the floor. Stumbling for a brief moment, Toshiro grimaced and closed his eyes for a half second.

He felt a blow against his body again. Opening his eyes just in time to witness it, he saw Snow's foot, tipped with a spike of ice, kick him in the gut. Flung through the air, Toshiro slammed into the wall of a nearby building and landed face down in the snow. Heaving and gagging, he stained the snow beneath his face crimson.

"I would much rather just leave it at this and be done with it," said Snow. Moving slowly, he almost seemed to glide over the ground. All around him, the blizzard raged. "I have this bad habit of being lazy, you see. But if the others found out that I just walked away from a still breathing enemy, I doubt His Majesty would forgive me." He formed a blade out of ice and held it in his hand, pointed down at the Captain. "So if you could die nice and easily for me, that would be a great help."

"Growl, Haineko!"

A cloud of ash cut through the blizzard and raked Snow up his right arm, opening a deep cut and tearing the sleeve of his uniform.

Leaping backwards, Snow looked down at his arm. "Very nice surprise attack... I didn't even have time to adjust my Blut."

Rangiku Matsumoto, Liutenant of Squad 10 didn't even bother to respond. Flash-stepping to her Captain's side, she hurriedly picked him up and retreated to the roof of a nearby building.

* * *

Sui-Feng continued to dodge the ever increasing number of obstacles that surrounded her. Striking out at the illusionary enemies, she dispatched one after the other in quick succession.

She was still trapped inside the Sternritter's Zone. She wasn't even sure how long she had been in there. The ability completely shut out her perception of outside influence. As such, she was unaware of the report concerning the theft of Captains' Bankai or the snowstorm that had currently fell upon the Seireitei.

Sui-Feng dodged another falling rock and struck one of the enemies across the face. Erupting into ash, it soon vanished into the wind.

"Is this really the best you can do?" Mann Elle (Sternritter Z) taunted; his arms folded across his chest. "You disappoint me, Captain."

Hissing through her teeth, Sui-Feng leaped through the path of a bladed pendulum and kicked a tile from the roof of a building at the Quincy. Soaring through the air, it carried with it the entire force of her kick and moved at an almost untraceable speed.

Unfortunately, it never found it's mark.

After travelling several feet, the tile changed course and was dragged to the left of the Sternritter before coming to a stop several dozen meters away.

"It seems you've discovered my Defense Zones," Mann laughed. "They're scattered all throughout your playing field. Any projectile coming towards me will be dragged into them. Long-range attacks are useless."

_So that's how it is..._ Sui-Feng thought to herself. _He has different Zones for different purposes. So far I only know of two, but from the way he's been taunting me, there's probably a third around him._

She dodged another falling boulder.

_I need to tread carefully if I attack him head on... However... I've tagged him twice with Suzumebachi. So all I need to do his hit him once more and I can finish him before he has a chance to counterattack._

Dashing through the array of obstacles, Sui-Feng closed the gap between where she initially stood and the Sternritter almost instantly. Thrusting her arm forwards, she managed to cut him across his right arm.

The same location as where her first crest had appeared.

And yet, the Sternritter did not die.

"Well well," he smirked. "It looks like you've just stepped inside my Kill Zone."

* * *

"Captain!" Matsumoto cried, turning Toshiro onto his back. "Toshiro, wake up!"

Opening his eyes, Toshiro's pupils lacked focus. A haze gripped his expression as he slipped in and out of unconsciousness. "Mat... sumoto...?"

Unsteadily sitting up, Toshiro's eyes wavered sluggishly. He gagged hard, vomiting blood onto the rooftop.

"Take it easy, Captain," she said, gripping his Haori gently, to support him. "Don't over-exert yourself."

"Wh-where's the Sternritter...?" he asked, gasping down lungfuls of air.

"He's still on the ground," Matsumoto explained. "I've erected a barrier, so he shouldn't be able to find us for at least a few minutes. Especially considering all of this snow."

"Th-thank you..."

Shaking and leaning on his sword for support, Toshiro rose to his feet. Teeth gritted, he glared through deep turquoise eyes at the snowstorm that raged outside of the barrier. Blood dripped from his chin.

"What are you doing?" Matsumoto shouted, leaping to her feet and placing herself in-between her Captain and the edge of the barrier. "If you go out there, you'll be killed! I've already called for reinforcements, you need to wait for them here!"

"I can't do that..." Toshiro said, forcefully, gasping for air. "There's no guarantee that the reinforcements will get here in time, especially considering the situations elsewhere..."

"And so you dying is going to fix that?!"

"N-no..." His eyes regained focus and he gritted his teeth. "I... Have a plan."

Outside of the Kido barrier, Snow was hovering in the air. Supported by wings of thick ice, his pale eyes watched the rooftop intently. Every attempt he had made to breach the structure had so far failed. Thus, he had taken to siphoning reishi from the Kido, gradually weakening it.

All of a sudden, the barrier vanished. Standing atop the roof, sword raised, was Captain Hitsugaya. Swinging his sword downwards, a torrent of water and ice roared through the blizzard that raged around them.

Reaching out with one hand, Snow froze the attack solid the second that it came in contact with his fingertips.

Firing a volley of ice shards at the Captain-

-he was gashed up the length of his back. Blood flew from his body and stained both the snow-covered ground and his white uniform.

Toshiro dodged the projectiles.

Matsumoto retracted her ash back into the form of her blade and disappeared into the flurry of snow.

"Using yourself as bait, so you're Liutenant can attack me," Snow mused. "Clever."

Flicking his wrist upwards, a wave of ice shot out into the air around the Quincy in a wide circle. Latching onto the Liutenant's legs, the ice began to slowly advance upwards until it had encased her entire lower body.

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro screamed, leaping through the snow and severing the ice below her feet, freeing her.

"That was a mistake, little Captain," said Snow, smirking. Swinging his arm upwards, he summoned a large spike of ice to, once again, impale the Captain.

Propelled through the air by the force, Toshiro broke through several buildings before being pinned to the side of one. Frozen in place by the ice, he began to shake and tremble as he bled out.

"How dare you..." Matsumoto gasped out, with chilling breath. "Use the Captain's Bankai against him like that!"

Cutting through the blizzard, Haineko's ash headed straight for the Sternritter. Matsumoto's eyes were hardened and intense as she aimed for the Quincy.

Flicking his eyes back towards the female Shinigami, Snow prepared to attack her.

Breaking out of the ice, Toshiro lifted his sword. "STOP IT!"

Almost as if he had expected this, Snow turned back on himself mid-attack. A tidal wave of ice and water ripped into the white haired Captain. Carried by the wave, he broke through several buildings and coughed up blood.

It wasn't long before he was hit by another raging torrent of cold. Pinned against another building and frozen in place, Toshiro stopped moving.

* * *

Momo Hinamori, Liutenant of Squad Five stopped dead in her tracks.

As far away as she was from Toshiro's fight, the outskirts of the blizzard still managed to reach her. She had taken this as a sign that her friend was winning the fight.

It was well known that Toshiro Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto was able to control the weather, however this was the first time the effects were so strong and wide-reaching.

Momo couldn't place her finger on why, but she felt uneasy. There was something different about the blizzard. It felt somehow sinister and dark.

Toshiro usually used his ability to manipulate weather to summon rain and ice. Never snow. It all felt very strange and alien to Momo.

Slowly, the snow began to stop.

An icicle hanging from the roof of a nearby building began to melt. The growing puddle lapped at Momo's feet.

* * *

Toshiro staggered forwards, blood and water mixing and dripping from his body. His Captain's Haori was stained bright red and almost completely shredded.

His eyes lost focus and his bottom lip began to tremble. Rivulets of blood ran down his face from an open wound on his scalp.

Still held in his hand, the blade of his Zanpakuto shattered.

Shards of steel clattered to the floor.

* * *

Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) pushed her red and purple hair behind her right ear. A smile plucked the corner of her full lips.

Turning to face Yhwach, her long red cape billowed in the wind as the snowstorm finally ended. The pair of them were stood in the air, overlooking the battles below.

"It seems that Toshiro Hitsugaya has died," she said, placing her hands on her hips and chuckling under her breath.

"I see..." Yhwach stated, his voice low. Around him, his tatty black cloak and long hair fluttered in the wind.

"These battles are dragging on a lot longer that we thought," Lenora stated, lowering herself to the ground and taking several steps. Looking around herself, she pulled a stern face. "If this keeps up then I may have to join the fight myself..."

"The Sternritter are far too lenient," Yhwach said, slowly. His deep red eyes shone across his face, throwing crimson light down on his wild mutton chops. "That is their only fault."

Touching down on the ground, Yhwach began to walk through the corpses of Shinigami that littered the floor. Blood splashed against his boots.

"Lenora..." he said, firmly. "I think it's time you joined the battle. This can't go out for much longer; I've already been out of the Shadow Territory too long."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Lenora said, solemnly.

Walking several paces, the female Sternritter cracked her neck before kicking off from the ground and launching herself into the sky.

Yhwach stood in silence for several seconds, thinking to himself. As the battle raged around him, his expression betrayed nothing.

"So!" suddenly arose a voice from behind him. "I take it you're the boss of these scrubs!"


	8. Wrath as a Lightning

**Chapter 8: Wrath as a Lightning**

"I take it you're the boss of these scrubs?" Kenpachi Zaraki asked, breaking into a wide toothy grin.

"Kenpachi Zaraki," Yhwach stated slowly and purposefully; turning to face the Captain. "To think that you would seek me out first. I would have thought that you would at least engaged one of my Sternritter."

"Why would I bother with small fry when the boss is right out here waiting for me?" he chuckled, breaking into a wide grin. "After all..." The crazed Captain leaped into the air, sword raised above his head. "YOU MIGHT BE THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT I'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME!"

* * *

Ferdinand Savagne (Sternritter Q) chuckled to himself and grabbed his opponent around the throat.

Lieutenant Choujiro Sasakibe of Squad One was slammed into the ground. Coughing up blood, his pupil less eyes opened wide.

Picking up the Shinigami and throwing him into the side of a nearby building, Ferdinand pulled an impressed face. "I'm surprised that you've lasted this long." He puffed on the cigar clenched between his teeth. "Especially considering that you've had your Bankai stolen."

Choujiro stopped trembling long enough to lock up. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

As soon as the invasion had started Choujiro had been almost completely cut off from the remainder of he Shinigami forces. His opponent was ludicrously fast. The Quincy had managed to eliminate every unseated and seated officer in the area in less than five minutes. Even more than that, anyone that attempted to approach, the individual had dispatched before they had a chance to make a report.

The result of this was that no-one was aware of Choujiro's situation. Not even the fact that he had lost his Bankai.

"You're actually living up to my expectations, Squad One Lieutenant," Ferdinand smirked, adjusting his white fedora. "No one has ever lasted this long before, against Sternritter Q- The Quick."

Choujiro gritted his teeth. Despite his opponent claiming that his moniker was The Quick, he was sure that his enemy wasn't using super speed, or anything of the sort. He knew this for a fact. Unfortunately, he was unable to pinpoint exactly what the power was.

"I was one of the first recruited into His Majesty's army," Ferdinand stated, his giant form slowly walking towards the downed Soul Reaper. "I like to think that it was because of my impressive track record for assassinations. I've always been skilled in terms of strength and made a good name for myself in the world of the living."

Choujiro ran forwards and swung his saber-shaped Zanpakuto at the Quincy.

In an action unfitting for a man of his size, Ferdinand dodged. Turning to the side, the lumbering hulk of a man rolled along the length of the Shinigami's arm and elbowed him in the back of the head. Falling forwards due to the force, Choujiro's face slammed into the floor.

"As a reward for lasting so long, shall I explain my ability to you?" the tan-skinned Quincy asked, tilting his head to the side and peering through his sunglasses, before removing them and slipping them into his right breast pocket.

The Lieutenant struck out to the side with his Zanpakuto in an attempt to slash the Sternritter's ankles.

Jumping over the swipe, Ferdinand kicked the Shinigami in the side, sending him flying yet again. Crashing through the wall of a nearby building, Choujiro spat blood across the floor.

Stumbling to his feet, the Lieutenant's eyes opened wide.

"Art of the flying strike!" Ferdinand shouted, punching the air so fast that his arm disappeared.

A shockwave of air slammed into Choujiro, crushing the air out of his lungs.

"Everything in the world has an average rate at which it occurs," Ferdinand said, smirking. His black goatee beard distorted around his mouth. "My ability is to reduce this rate of reaction." He began to walk through the rubble that littered the floor and cracked his knuckles. "Lets say a pot of water will boil in two minutes... I can alter the rate of reaction so that it will instead boil in one."

Ferdinand leaped forwards and moved to throw a punch. Choujiro slashed out in retaliation. The Quincy blocked the attack almost immediately with his index finger. This was followed by a rapid series of swipes and blocks from the pair.

"On a smaller scale I can use my ability on my own nerves," the Sternritter explained, blocking all of Choujiro's attacks; his eyes almost seeming to vibrate. "By increasing the rate at which my optic nerves send information to my brain, and the rate at which my motor neuron synapses activate, I can increase my reaction time to superhuman levels."

Catching the blade in one hand, Ferdinand struck out with the other. His fist slammed into the Lieutenant's face, sending him flying through the air.

"In other words..." He removed the finished cigar from his mouth and crushed it underfoot. "You will never be able to keep up with me."

Cracking his knuckles, Ferdinand pulled out the medallion that he had used to steal Choujiro's Bankai. Flipping it around his fingers, he began to grin.

"Now the question remains... Do I kill you with your own Bankai?"

"Tsugi no Mai! Hakuren!"

A burst of overwhelming cold collided with Ferdinand's back, jolting him forwards and causing him to stumble. Within a half-second, the Quincy was entirely encased in ice.

Running past the newly-formed ice sculpture, Rukia Kuchiki (Lieutenant of Squad 13) hurried to help Choujiro to his feet. "Come on… You need to get up!"

Wavering on his feet, the elderly Shinigami looked over at the young girl who had aided him. "Miss Kuchiki…"

"Try not to speak," she said, softly. "We need to get you out of here…"

Her dark purple eyes locked onto her senior as she supported him and helped him to move. The Quincy wouldn't be frozen for that long; they would need to hurry. He would currently be in shock due to the sudden drop in temperature. They would only have a few seconds.

"Where do you think you're going, little girl?" the voice of the Sternritter suddenly asked.

Breaking free from Rukia's technique, Ferdinand grunted. Shards of ice clattered to the floor before shattering into smaller pieces.

"Surely you must have heard me explaining my power," Ferdinand said, striking Rukia around the face, causing her to drop Choujiro and collapse to the floor. "It was simple to speed up the rate at which I could recover from the cold."

Rukia leaped to her feet, towards the giant of a man and swung her pure white sword in a circle around herself. "Some no Mai! Tsukishiro!"

Leaping from the ground, a circular pillar of light enclosed around the Sternritter, encasing him in ice once more. However, this did little to deter him.

By increasing the rate at which the ice would melt, he reduced it to water in under ten seconds.

Kicking the female Soul Reaper in the gut, Ferdinand sent her flying. As she landed, he raised his left hand. Clasped in his fist was a silver medallion.

"Bankai! Koko Gonryo Rikku!"

The entire air began to feel heavy and humid. The smell of roasted almost filled the surrounding area in a deep and musky scent. Black clouds swarmed in the sky, blocking out the light of the moon. White flashed down upon the ground as a gigantic orb of lightning hovered midair above the Quincy.

Swinging his arm down, Ferdinand aimed a lightning strike at the young girl.

Before the blast of electricity could land, Choujiro appeared next to his comrade and threw her out of the way. Hitting him with all the force of an air compressor, the lightning strike forced him to his knees. The sound of a thunder clap echoed throughout the entire of the Seireitei.

"Sasikibe!" Rukia screamed, jumping to her feet and running to him.

Again, he pushed her out of the way as a second lightning strike fell upon him. Burns covered his body and steam rose from his bloodied form.

A third blast of electricity fell upon the Assistant Captain as he struggled to rise to his feet. His hair caught light and began to burn.

Another struck him. And another.

"Stop it! You're killing him!" Rukia screamed in horror, charging at Ferdinand and raising her pure white Zanpakuto.

Turning his attention back to the girl, Ferdinand grinned and swung his arm towards her.

Rukia felt a strong grip around her waist. Picked up and carried out of the way, the attack missed her. Looking up at her saviour, she laid eyes on-

Captain Commander Yamamoto.

Gently placing her on the floor, the elderly man turned back towards Choujiro's motionless form. "Stay here young lady. I shall take care of this one myself."

As the Captain Commander walked towards the charred body of his subordinate, Ferdinand continued to smile. "Well good afternoon, Head Captain." He lit himself a new cigar and began to puff on it. "It's been a while since you're office. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't remember be, I was wearing a mask after all."

Yamamoto ignored him as he reached Choujiro's body. Kneeling down in front of him, he checked his friend's breathing. He was already dead.

"I bet you were surprised when I made the wood rot beneath your foot," Ferdinand continued. "I can bet you've never experienced anything like that before."

Yamamoto turned around to face the Sternritter with a dark light in his eyes. His glare was so intense that it could bore holes through concrete.

"If I were you, I would be happy," the Quincy said, adjusting his hat. "You get to die at the hands of your subordinate's Bankai."

The Head Captain said nothing.

Ferdinand grinned widely, almost biting through his cigar. Arching his arm downwards, he struck the old man with lightning. Over and over he blasted him, charring his clothes and burning his body. Every sound in the area was eclipsed by the resonating thunder claps.

* * *

_Choujiro..._

_You always were a stubborn one. Incessantly following me as a young man, insisting I take you as my right hand man. Always calling me Eijisai..._

_Even after you mastered your Bankai and scarred my forehead, you continued to call me that._

_Despite being stubborn you always had so much confidence. Confidence to back up your stubborn attitude. Confidence to persevere and succeed._

_So when you refused to be accompanied when engaging the enemy, I believed in you. I believed that you would return alive._

_And now..._

_Now..._

* * *

"Choujiro..." Yamamoto whispered, his voice drowned out by the sound of the thunder.

Ferdinand laughed, repeatedly striking him. Light filled the area, drowning everything in a veil of white.

"You must be mortified..."

Another bolt of lightning lanced through him.

"The Bankai that you spent to long refining..."

Yet another crackled through the air and flooded his form in white.

"Your life's work..."

Yamamoto gripped the hilt of his sword tightly in his trembling right hand. Blood dripped down his arm and splashed to the floor before evaporating from the heat of the lightning.

His head lifted, rage gripping his features like a vice. His teeth bared and his pupils pinpricked. "WAS NOT THIS WEAK!"

Fire erupted from his sword. Seething, scorching fire.

Flames tore into Ferdinand's form and vaporised his flesh. Bones began to crumble under the intense heat as he was completely atomised.

Looking over the scene, Rukia was forced to retreat several steps, due to just how hot it was.

The only thing that remained of Ferdinand Savagne were the echoes of his death screams.

Yamamoto turned away from the blaze and made his way to Rukia. Standing next to her and looking over her shoulder at the battlefield ahead, he let out a deep breath.

"Secure my Lieutenant's body," he said solemnly. "And fear not, young lady... For, with my own two hands, I will exterminate the entire enemy force."

Launching himself from the ground, Yamamoto rocketed into the sky, swathed in flames.


	9. The Fire

**Chapter 9: The Fire**

Captain Sui-Feng was repeatedly blocking her enemy's attacks. Despite being much slower than she was, the Quincy was pushing her to her limits.

She had been worn out by the repeated combat challenges he had subjected her to, and was pushing the far end of exhaustion. The longer that she fought him, the more blows she was taking.

Most distressing of all, however, was the fact that no matter how many times she struck him with Suzumebachi, the Sternritter would not die.

"What's wrong?" Mann chuckled, mockingly. "Having a hard time?" He struck her around the face and moved to knee her in the gut. His second strike was hurriedly blocked. "I'd have thought my Kill Zone would be the easiest for you to deal with. What a shame."

_What does he mean?_ Sui-Feng thought, still engaged in the vicious melee. _No matter how many times I cut him, he won't die. Why would he think that I shouldn't be struggling?_

Blocking a straight left with her gauntleted forearm, the female Captain utilized her impressive flexibility to kick the opponent under the chin. Staggering back, Mann spat blood.

_Strange..._ she thought to herself. _Every time I cut him, he doesn't so much as flinch. But barehanded attacks always knock him back..._

"You're going to need to cut me a lot more if you want to take me down," he laughed, dashing forwards and engaging the female Captain again.

_He's trying to taunt me into cutting him more. Couple that with how poorly he reacts to barehanded strikes and..._

Gripping the Sternritter around the wrist, she threw him over her shoulder and slammed his back into the floor. He cried out in pain and gagged on blood.

_That must be it! In his Kill Zone, you can only be injured by barehanded strikes. That's why my Suzumebachi isn't working, and why he hasn't been using any of his projectiles._

Gritting her teeth, Sui-Feng yanked Mann to his feet by his arm before sidestepping behind him. Gripping the bald man around the head, she wrenched her arms sideways with every ounce of strength she had.

A sickening crunch filled the air. The Sternritter's head hung at an odd angle, his amber eyes open wide in shock. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth. His legs finally gave way and he fell face-down onto the rooftop on which they stood.

Wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, the Squad Two Captain began to breathe heavily.

The Zones surrounding her dispelled as her enemy died, and she finally regained spatial awareness. Echoes of Reiatsu pulsed through her brain.

"This isn't possible..." she whispered to herself, looking over the battlefield. "How can we be losing this badly...?"

Her eyes suddenly snapped to her left. Searing through the sky was a blazing ball of fire. Reiatsu so fierce that it took her breath away radiated from the flames.

"Captain Commander...?" Sui-Feng gasped.

* * *

All across the Seireitei, every single Captain and Lieutenant felt their General's Reiatsu. Sweat dripped from their foreheads as they all, without exception, trembled in awe.

"Wh-what's that?" Lieutenant Momo Hinamori asked, fear gripping her voice.

"That's the Captain Commander..." Captain Shinji Hirako said, not even bothering to glance over his shoulder at her. "Jeez... I'm getting goosebumps."

Elsewhere, Sajin Komamura rose to his feet. Bloodied and beaten, he bared his teeth and let out a deep battle cry.

"Stand up!" he roared, directing his attention to his men, laying beaten on the ground. "Our Commander is standing and yet you are laying on the ground?! I do not remember the Gotei Thirteen being so shameful!"

"Y... Yes sir!" Komamura's squad members cried as they too rose to their feet.

Watching the display, Tomoko Stano whistled between her teeth and grinned.

"Wow..." Captain Shunsui Kyoraku stated, from his own battlefield. "Old man Yama's Reiatsu is echoing all over the Seireitei... I don't think I've ever seen him this angry before. I don't even think I've seen him fight so close to the front lines either..." He raised his twin blades and took a step back from his opponent. "It's almost like I'm being scolded. 'How dare you have such a hard time with these enemies. I don't remember raising you to be a coward.'" He swung his blades up into a tight stance. "It's almost like he's right here next to me."

* * *

Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) noticed Yamamoto's advance the exact same time that Byakuya did.

Glancing away from his fight, the Sternritter's bright green eyes locked onto the ball of fire lancing through the night sky.

"Well," he sighed, turning back towards Byakuya. "It seems I'm going to have to cut our duel off short." He smiled and flicked his gaze over the Captain's cut and bloody form. "Not that this hasn't been fun."

Byakuya lifted his shredded left arm and directed a swarm of cherry blossoms at the Quincy, however not a single one managed to find its mark. Be it from blood loss or fatigue, he didn't know, but Byakuya's attack missed by several meters.

"I would love to stay and fight you longer," the Sternritter explained, "but I have a job to do."

With that he kicked off of the floor and disappeared into the night sky.

* * *

Yhwach threw Kenpachi Zaraki's unconscious and bloody body to the floor. It landed with and crash and bounced once.

"To think that you were a War Potential," he stated calmly, looking down at the Captain's form. "Look at you now... Fragile."

Walking away from the body, Yhwach's tattered cloak billowed around his imposing form. Long hair flared up behind him as he made his way into the heart of the Seireitei.

"It seems that I've really overestimated you all... Sleep. The Soul Society is about to end..."

All of a sudden, an explosion ripped through the area. Colliding into the ground will all the force of a meteorite, Captain Commander Yamamoto entered the fray. Fire shot into the air, burning up all the oxygen in the surrounding area.

"It's been over one thousand years, Yhwach..." Yamamoto said, striding forward, swathed in flames. "I came here to annihilate you."

"Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto," Yhwach replied, breaking into a disturbingly calm smile. "To think that you would seek me out personally. You foolishness truly knows no bounds."

"It seems you have forgotten our last encounter," said the elderly Shinigami, pointing his blade at the Quincy King.

"And it appears to me that you have forgotten to mind your surroundings."

No sooner had he said this, three Sternritter dropped from the sky above the Captain Commander.

"I really hate having to do this..." said Snow, lazily.

"But orders are orders," Joseph continued.

"So go ahead and die you bastard!" Legion shouted.

Yamamoto barely moved. Fire shot from his back in a blast so huge it dwarfed everything in the surrounding area. Flung backwards by the shockwave, the three Sternritter crashed through several buildings before landing, charred, beneath piles of rubble.

"Tch," Yhwach tutted. "Meddling in my fight light that... I would expect nothing less." Noticing an odd expression on the Head Captain's face, the Quincy king tilted his head to the side. "What is with that look in your eyes? You look like you have something to say."

Leaping forwards, Yamamoto swung his blade of fire down at his enemy's head. The metal sliced through flesh before lodging itself in Yhwach's forearm. Flames seared his ragged clothing.

"In these one thousand years, you still have not changed, Yhwach," Yamamoto said, his voice deep and threatening.

"Ah, but you have, Shigekuni Yamamoto," the Quincy stated, smiling. "You have gotten old." He jumped back, dislodging the sword from his arm and spattering the floor with blood. "However... The way you are letting your rage rule your thoughts does remind me of your youth."

Yamamoto struck out twice with slashes of fire. Both of which Yhwach dodged by a hairs breadth.

"You're movements have dulled," the Quincy King taunted. "The strength which was so feared has diminished. You are but a shadow of your former self."

"You are mistaken," the Shinigami stated, slowly and with great weight. "I am no shadow, but the flame that casts it." Swinging his blade in a horizontal slash, Yamamoto let out a hoarse shout of: "Taimatsu!"

A fire so hot that it reduced the rubble underfoot to ash seared through the air. Leaping skyward, Yhwach narrowly avoided being engulfed in the blaze.

"A wise decision," the elderly Soul Reaper said, looking up at Yhwach. "Had you attempted to defend yourself with Blut Vene you would have not escaped with your life. You would have burned until nothing remained but ash."

Leaping into the sky, Yamamoto continued to launch fire at the Quincy King. Dodging repeatedly, Yhwach began to taunt the Head Captain. "Come now, Shikekuni Yamamoto, surely you can do better than this? You should know that this is nowhere near enough to bring about my end! Have you become so senile that you have forgotten this fact? Your Bankai is the only way in which you could even hope to land a scratch on me!"

"If it's my Bankai you want..." the Captain Commander said, dropping to the ground. "Then it's my Bankai you shall get."

Yhwach slowly lowered himself to the floor, opposite his foe. A smile plucked the corner of his mouth.

"I know the secret behind the stealing of the Bankai," Yamamoto explained. "You require prior knowledge of its abilities and powers in order to steal it. That is why you are unable to do so to the Kurosaki boy's Bankai; it is still evolving. It was a fatal mistake to goad me into using mine... For one thousands years ago I did not reveal to you even one of my powers." He swung his sword to his side. "Prepare yourself Yhwach... I am about to reduce you to nothingness."

Placing his hands on his hips Yhwach didn't so much as twitch.

"Bankai. Zanka no Tachi."

The overwhelming fire disappeared leaving only a charred and broken blade in it's wake. All forms of moisture in the Soul Society began to evaporate. The clouds brought on by the blizzard and thunderstorms earlier in the battle vanished. On the horizon, a red sun began to rise.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming heat didn't last long.

A black flash erupted from Yhwach's hand. Clasped between his fingers was a bright silver medallion. Yamamoto's Bankai crumbled.

His lips twisting into a grin, Yhwach began to laugh under his breath. The Captain Commander looked dumbfounded.

"It appears that your hypothesis was wrong, Shigekuni Yamamoto," Yhwach said, pocketing the medallion. "I am, indeed, able to steal your Bankai."

Emerging from a pile of rubble, watching the scene, Joseph Fehler fell back so that he was leaning against a nearby wall. Aside from scorched clothing, he was otherwise unharmed. Green eyes narrowed discerningly as he observed.

"You made a mistake in thinking it safe to activate your Bankai," he said, slowly. "Another wrong move was that you chose to engage His Majesty on your own... But your greatest, and first mistake, was challenging Lord Yhwach at all."

A gigantic bow appeared in the sky above the Quincy King. An arrow was pulled taught into its massive frame before firing straight down. Planting firmly into the ground in front of Yhwach a broad sword, formed from reishi, threw white light upon his cloaked form.

Gripping the handle above the cross guard, Yhwach drew it from the ground and held it in front of his body.

"Farewell, Shigekuni Yamamoto."

* * *

_"Hey, Old Man Yama?"_

_"Shunsui!" Yamamoto shouted, annoyance gripping his features as he burst through the door and scolded the young boy. "How many times have I told you not to come into this room?"_

_Grasping the lad around the ear, Yamamoto lifted him off the floor._

_Kicking his legs frantically, Shunsui desperately apologised. "Ow that hurts! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"_

_"I can't even feel a bit of sincerity in your apology!" Yamamoto shouted._

_"I am sincere! I'm sorry I came in here, I promise." Shunsui was released and landed on the floor with a crash. "I was just curious about that picture..." He indicated a framed painting on the wall, depicting a figure shrouded in fire. "What is it, anyway? Some kind of Fire God from a myth or legend or something?"_

_Noting the picture, Yamamoto pulled a somber face._

_"That's a monster..." he said solemnly. "It appeared in the Soul Society a long time ago, when it was in danger and made it all worse..." He looked down at the boy. "But don't worry... It won't appear ever again."_

_Shunsui turned to face the older man and opened his eyes in concern. "What happens if it does appear again?"_

_"If it does..." Yamamoto said. "I probably won't return here ever again..."_

* * *

Yamamoto parted his lips in a haggard breath.

Above him, rain clouds began to converge, brought on by the heat generated by his momentary Bankai. Droplets of water began to fall, reflecting the crimson light of the rising sun. Spattering against his skin, rivulets of rainwater ran down his face.

A gentle breeze blew past him.

Blood slipped from his mouth.

Yamamoto's remaining arm and head fell to the floor, severed midway along his abdomen. The bottom half of his body remained standing, almost as if it had been anchored to the ground.

Yhwach looked down upon his fallen enemy and smiled.


	10. Countdown to Collapse

**Chapter 10: Countdown to Collapse**

Ichigo continued to fight against the invisible restraints that held him in place. No matter what he did, no matter how much he struggled, not even a hair on his body would budge.

_Come on!_ his mind screamed at him, desperation welling behind his deep brown eyes. _Move! Move! MOVE!_

Watching the helpless young man, Gillaume began to chuckle to himself. Every breath he took prompted more blood to leak from his abdomen, yet he did not care. The Ranso-Tengai was more than making up for his near-death state by controlling him like a human marionette.

"Struggle all you can, Ichigo Kurosaki," he said, weakly, yet with an air of amusement. "No matter what you do, you will not move unless I will it."

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo felt the blood pulse through his skull.

_Think! Think! What can I do to get out of this?! All I need to do is break his concentration, like before; but how?!_

"GETSUGA TENSHO!" he screamed, attempting to use the force of his attack to budge his body.

Locked into his blade by the incredible amount of friction, the black spirit energy detonated. Ichigo felt the bones crack in his right arm. He cried out in pain.

"You are embarrassing yourself," the Sternritter stated. "The more you struggle, he tighter you're held in place. Give up."

"Getsuga... TENSHO!" Ichio screamed, yet again. He felt a bone in his wrist break. His arm still did not move.

"The only way to overcome friction is with excessive force," Gillaume explained. "But by the time you've generated enough force to do so, your body will have torn itself apart."

"Getsuga..."

"I'm telling you it's useless!"

Blue lines appeared on Ichigo's exposed skin, luminescing through the half-light of the morning.

_Impossible..._ Gillaume thought, eyes wide with shock. _This is... Blut Vene!_

"TENSHO!"

Black spirit energy exploded from the back edge of his sword, blasting in a black line across the horizon, like an inkblot on a canvas of red and orange. Carried forwards by the extreme force of the blast, the fabric of Ichigo's sleeve was ripped from his sword arm, revealing more blue markings extending up the skin of his arm.

Gillaume's eyes snapped to the side rapidly as the sword tore through the flesh of his chest. Blood jetted out and splashed against Ichigo's black robes.

As his concentration finally broke, Gillaume's wall of friction collapsed. In the brief moment before he regained his composure, Ichigo moved as fast as he could towards Urahara's Senkaimon.

"Urahara!" Ichigo shouted, blurring through the gate and calling over his shoulder. "No matter what you do, do not let that guy go to the Soul Society!"

"Oh don't worry, Kurosaki-Kun," Urahara mused, turning towards where the Quincy still hung from wires of reishi. "I still have some few tests I want to run on this fellow."

* * *

"You may have been the head of the Shinigami," Yhwach said, looking down at Yamamoto's severed torso. "But look at you now... Pathetic." He began to walk towards the corpse. "You really are a pitiful sight."

Stomping down on the Captain Commander's head, Yhwach let out a brief sigh. Around him, it had begun to rain, the downpour washing away the blood of the Head Captain.

"You are a fool, Shigekuni Yamamoto," he said. "Believing you could take me on and succeed. You probably don't even realise why I did not list you among the five War Potentials..." His red eyes narrowed discerningly. "Why did you not restore your left arm? If you had ordered Orihime Inoue to do it, she would have. Is it because you did not wish to rely on a human? That has always been your biggest fault; that you refused to rely on anyone else. Even now you attempted to shoulder the weight of both the Soul Society and World of the Living, and stood before me." He ground his foot down on Yamamoto's head. "But you have lost."

As the rain fell, wind whipped up and caught Yhwach's cloak, flaring it up around his shadowy form.

"You became weak." A smile plucked the corner of his mouth, beneath his wild mutton chops. "And now... The Soul Society will die along with you."

The Quincy king felt something on his ankle. Looking down, he found the body of Yamamoto, clasping him in a vice-like grip. Lifting his head, beneath Yhwach's boot, Yamamoto coughed up blood.

Fighting to even speak, the Captain Commander retched as he spoke. "Hado 96... Ittō Kasō!" Yamamoto's entire body turned black like brittle charcoal and began to crack with deep red fissures.

_The spell of sacrifice..._ Yhwach thought, eyes open wide. _To think that he still had the strength to use that!?_

A gigantic pillar of crimson fire, in the shape of a sword, erupted from the ground beneath the duo. Flaring up into the sky, it punched through the rain clouds overhead. Everything in the surrounding area was vaporised.

Stumbling from the blast, Yhwach was burned up his right side. The clothing that had covered his right arm and leg were gone, revealing scorched flesh.

"Suicidal fool," he spat out, looking down at where the Captain Commander had previously lay. Nothing remained but a pile of charred black ash.

Placing his hand to his temple, Yhwach closed his eyes.

**Lenora...** his voice echoed in the minds of every Sternritter in the Soul Society. **Summon the Soldat. It is time for the Sternritter to completely violate the Soul Society.**

As His Majesty's voice resonated in her head, Lenora flung her long red cloak over her shoulder and crouched down on the ground. He palm flattened and shadow began to creep along the floor. Swinging her arm up to the side, the shadow extended up the wall next to her. Swarming from the shadow, hundreds of soldiers dressed in white combat gear spilled into the streets of the Seireitei.

Advancing through the streets, the Soldat began to decimate the Soul Reaper forces without discrimination. Screams and explosions filled the air; buildings collapsing and bloody corpses falling to the ground.

Yhwach observed the carnage, his face stoic and unmoving.

The Gotei Thirteen was all but annihilated. Shinigami fell before the Quincy army in droves.

Soon the Royal Guard would arrive and they would have to retreat. Yhwach had accounted for that much in his plans.

Preparing to return to the Shadow Territory, the Quincy king closed his eyes.

An explosion of spiritual energy shot into the sky, from the top of Sokyoku Hill. The shockwave rippled through the destroyed buildings and slammed into Yhwach's back.

Turning slowly, Yhwach's deep crimson eyes twisted in confusion. "What on earth is that?"

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki gritted his teeth as he sprinted through the Dangai. The ache of his broken wrist was all but forgotten; his attention pinpointed on the rapidly disappearing Reiatsus ahead of him.

He could see the exit ahead of him. Through the dimensional gateway, he could just about make out the narrow columns of the Sokyoku execution platform.

Reaching the end of the pathway, Ichigo stepped out onto the flat earth of the hill. Surrounding him were no less than thirty men, clad in white combat attire.

"In the name of His Majesty, you will go no further!" one of the masked men said, stepping forwards.

Ichigo didn't even bother to acknowledge him with a verbal response. Swinging his Zanpakuto in a wide arc, he let loose a massive burst of black spirit energy, sending the men flying. An explosion shot skyward, evaporating the rain that fell upon the Seireitei.

Walking slowly to the edge of the hill, Ichigo looked down over the battlefield.

_Rukia… Renji… Byakuya… Toshiro_

He began to shake. Anger coursed through his veins.

* * *

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Yhwach said, breaking into a wide smile. "So you've finally arrived."

Ichigo's Reiatsu vanished. Yhwach frantically attempted to place exactly where the boy was.

A jet black sword fell from the sky and planted itself in the ground in front of the Quincy King, like a deformed flower. Landing in front of the blade and drawing it from the floor, Ichigo Kurosaki glared at Yhwach.

"Was it you?" he asked, speaking every word deliberately slow and intense.

"Was what me?" Yhwach replied, smiling.

"Are you the enemy leader?" Ichigo said, his broken wrist trembling. The chain attached to the hilt of his sword jangled as it shook.

"Enemy, huh…" Yhwach chuckled under his breath. Placing his hands on his hips, he bowed his head and continued to laugh. "I suppose you could say that I am… But at the same time I'm not."

"Don't fuck with me…" Ichigo hissed, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes. "I'm asking if you're the one that made such a mess of the Soul Society!" Rage gripped his features like a vice, a shockwave of spiritual pressure blasting from his body.

Yhwach swung his arms to his sides and splayed his fingers. "I am."

The Substitute Soul Reaper lunged at the Quincy King. Slamming his blade into Yhwach's forearm, he felt his wrist give way beneath the weight of the strike. Screaming in pain, he leaped back and changed his sword to his left hand before attacking again.

"Getsuga-!"

Yhwach grabbed the blade of the boy's sword and wrenched him into the path of a left-handed strike. Slamming his fist into the side of Ichigo's face, he floored the Shinigami and stomped down on his left wrist, trapping him.

"I was tempted to let you live, but it seems that there is no other way." Yhwach summoned a blade from a broach that he wore beneath his cloak and held it over his head. "I'm going to destroy you."

Stabbing the boy in the throat, the Quincy King felt an abnormal amount of resistance.

That was when he noticed it. Covering Ichigo's body were a series of glowing blue lines.

_Impossible…_ he thought. _Blut Vene? How?!_

Ichigo wrenched his wrist from beneath Yhwach's boot and fired a torrent of black spirit energy up at his enemy. The resulting explosion rocked the area, shaking the ground. The leader of the Sternritter was burned up his already charred limbs.

Leaping back, Yhwach stared down the boy.

_There is no way that could have been Blut… but…_

Yhwach swung his sword at Ichigo again. Grating across the skin of his throat, sparks shot into the air in a fierce flurry. Again the blue lines appeared atop Ichigo's skin.

"I knew that it was a mistake to send a pure-blooded Quincy to detain you," Yhwach mused, stepping back again. "I should have just sent a legion of disposable Arrancar."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, tightening his left hand's grip on his Zanpakuto.

"Fighting a pure blooded Quincy has caused the memories inside your Reiatsu to awaken…" He blocked an attack from Ichigo and stepped back. "Didn't you wonder how you were able to escape from Gillaume's Wall without tearing your body apart?" Yhwach pointed his blade at the markings on Ichigo's exposed arm. "Blut Vene; the heart of a Quincy's defence."

"Memories of Reiatsu? Quincys?" Ichigo shouted, lunging at the man again. The blade of his Bankai clashed against Yhwach's arm. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Ah, that's right…" the Quincy King laughed, blocking the strike. "You know nothing about yourself… Not the circumstances of your birth; nor your own mother."

"What are you-?"

"But alas, I have spoken too much. I am leaving, Ichigo Kurosaki." He turned away from the boy and dispersed his blade.

"I said: What the fuck are you saying!?" Ichigo screamed, lunging at Yhwach one final time.

Yhwach rounded on the boy, grasping his sword in one hand and reforming his own blade. Striking downward, he severed Ichigo's left arm at the wrist. Blood fountained across the floor, stark vermillion against grey rubble.

Dropping Tensa Zangetsu, Yhwach looked down at the Substitute Soul Reaper, kneeling and screaming; unable to even grasp the bloody stump due to his broken wrist.

"One day soon, I will return for you, Ichigo Kurosaki." He stomped down on the blade of the sword. Metal shattered and black shards littered the floor. "Heal your wounds and wait for my return…"

Black shadow rose from the floor and lapped at Yhwach's form. As it engulfed him, the Quincy King began to retreat.

"For, once we return, everything you hold dear will crumble." He vanished, leaving only his voice. "My son, born in the darkness."


	11. After the Fall

**Chapter 11: After the Fall**

"Teams 11 to 16, move out to east district 56!"

"Body collection is to be postponed! Prioritise the wounded!"

"Emergency transportation in progress! Please give us instructions, sir!"

"Take them to room 303!"

Squad Four dispersed into the ruins of the Seireitei the moment the Sternritter left the Soul Society. Wounded were collected and taken to the Squad Four barracks; what little there were.

The vast majority of Shinigami involved in the battle had been killed. Squad Eleven had suffered the heaviest losses, being at the front lines.

They recovered Lieutenant Renji Abarai in the wreckage of a collapsed building. Both of his arms were broken, as well as several of his ribs. Most of his organs had been ruptured by blunt force trauma.

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki had checked himself in to the Fourth Division barracks himself. He had deep lacerations all over his body. If those that treated him didn't know better, they would have said that the wounds had come from his own Zanpakuto.

Captain Sajin Komamura had several broken bones, but other than that no serious injuries. The same was said of Captain Rose.

Kenpachi Zaraki was not so lucky. He was retrieved, unconscious, from beneath the rubble surrounding Yamamoto's battlefield. Bloodied and beaten, he was barely breathing.

However, worst of all, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya's body was recovered after treatment on the survivors was complete. His entire body was covered in puncture wounds and cuts, and his internal organs were still frozen.

Upon seeing his corpse, Lieutenant Hinamori had to be removed from the room. Half-hysterical with grief, her screams could be heard across the entire of the Seireitei.

The Captain Commander's body was never recovered. The most that they were able to retrieve was his broken Zanpakuto. The ashes of his body had long ago been washed away by the rain.

Inside the Fourth Division barracks, Captain Retsu Unohana stood at the window, her form a statue set against the sky. Looking over the destruction the Quincys had left in their wake, her face remained emotionless.

Behind her, her Lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu bore a haggard and disturbed expression. Tears gripped her eyes as, by sheer force of will, she managed to hold them in.

"Why only now..." she whispered. "Are we being sent out...? Not a single member of Squad Four even left the barracks during the invasion... If we had done, we could have..." She trailed off as she attempted to fight back more tears.

"Isane..." Unohana said, softly. "You must not talk based on your feelings. It would have been easy to leave this place and join the fray. However, you know full well precisely why we could not do that..."

Finally releasing her tears, silently, Isane wept. "Yes, ma'am. I understand." Her thoughts, previously flooded with images of her dead sister, focused on what her Captain had said.

_I've been such a fool..._ she thought. _I should know better than anyone... Captain Unohana regrets not being able to save those we've lost, more than anyone here..._

"There is no need to cry, Isane..." Captain Unohana said, slowly. Not once did she look away from the window. "No matter what happens, do not leave this building." She looked up into the sky. "That was the last order the Captain Commander gave us."

* * *

"Whaaaat?" Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) cried, in mock distress. "Mister Savagne is dead?"

"That's what the report says," Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) said, leaning against a nearby wall and folding his arms.

"How did he go?" the black-haired girl asked, sticking the ice-lolly she held back into her mouth.

"It says in the Daten that the Captain Commander incinerated him," Sylvanus replied.

"How tragic," Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) said, from inside his hood. His voice was deadpan and disinterested.

"Jheeze, show a bit of sympathy, will you?" Tomoko said, taking a bite out of her frozen treat.

"How in Yhwach's name do you eat that crap?" Sternritter G, Onmar Gunther, said from his seated position on a nearby wall. He breathed into his hands, blowing hot air through them to keep warm. "It's like two degrees here; what are you, insane?"

"A side effect of my power is increased body heat," Tomoko explained, flicking her green eyes over her fellow Sternritter. "This helps keep me cool."

Onmar pulled an expression of distaste and lifted his top lip. The hairs on the back of his neck raised, attempting to fight off the cold. "I swear I'll never understand your power..."

"You don't need to understand it," she said, smiling around the lolly in her mouth and walking over towards her sitting comrade. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she began to massage him. "You just sit back and let me warm you up."

As the heat began to spread over his body, Onmar stopped rubbing his hands and sat up straight.

"It always baffles me, every time you do that," Sylvanus said, shifting his standing position and raising one eyebrow.

"It's no big deal," Tomoko said, removing her hands from Onmar's back. White sparks flickered from her hands. "I just stopped the equalisation of his body heat with the environment."

"No idea what you just said," Sylvanus said, half scoffing under his breath.

"You shouldn't bother trying to explain it," Basilisk muttered through the mask that covered the bottom half of his face. "People of lower intelligence would never be able to understand."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Sylvanus said, comically. "Though it has been said," he chuckled, "I am more of a fighter than a thinker."

"And that's why I'm glad you're on our side," Tomoko grinned, throwing a glance over at her comrade.

The group remained in silence for several seconds, until an uninvited guest walked into their midst.

Wandering through the group, a dazed expression on her face, a woman with long blonde hair walked straight into a wall. Flinching back from the contact, she fell to the floor and held her head gingerly in one hand.

"Ow..." she whimpered, blushing and closing one eye. "I hit my head..."

"You need to watch where you're going, Di," Onmar muttered, leaving his perch on the wall and sitting on the floor. Clasping his hands behind his head, he laid down on the floor, one leg crossed over the top of the other.

"I'm sorry," Dientlynne Deiweiber (Sternritter U) laughed, rubbing her head. "I just got distracted and started daydreaming."

Despite the majority of the Sternritter either forming cliques or acting on their own, there was always one face that was welcome everywhere. Dientlynne, or Di as many called her, was always a gentle and kind face. Frequently daydreaming, the woman was often found wandering the Silbern, vacantly.

Leaping to her feet and dusting off her frilly white dress, Di's long curly blonde hair bounced around her head. Bright pink eyes shone from her face.

"So what were we all talking about?" she asked, looking around the group with a curious expression.

"Mr Savagne is dead," Basilisk muttered, placing his hands on his hips and peering from the depths of his hood.

"No!" she cried, opening her mouth in a definable 'o'. "I loved Ferdie! How did he die?"

"Immolation," Basilisk replied, bluntly.

"What's that?" Di asked, placing a finger against her bottom lip and tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"He burned to death," Tomoko said, taking Onmar's vacant spot and sitting on the wall.

"Oh no! How awful..." She sighed and looked down at the floor. "Is that why we were ordered to retreat?"

"No," said Sylvanus, still leaning against the wall. "We were asked to withdraw because the Zero Division would be showing up soon."

"The who?" Di asked, puzzled.

"The elite Shinigami that guard the Soul King," Onmar explained, closing his eyes and shifting his laying position so that he was more comfortable.

"Oh, like His Majesty's Elite Guard!"

"Exactly," Tomoko said. "They're supposed to be inhumanly strong."

"Do you ever get the feeling that saying something too much causes the words to lose all meaning?" Sylvanus asked, absent-mindedly. "Ever since I became a Sternritter, everyone I've encountered has either been inhumanly strong, or just plain inhuman." He lowered one eyebrow. "What does 'inhuman' even mean, anyway?"

"I'm going to take a shot in the dark and assume that it means 'not human', Syl," Tomoko replied, chuckling.

"Yes, but what does it mean?" he persisted, running his fingers through his grey hair and leaning his head back against the wall. " 'Youre so strong, you're not human!' Well what are you? A fish?"

"They couldn't be a fish, fish have gills," Basilisk replied, without a hint of irony in his voice. His facial expression (what little could be seen of it) didn't change as he stared off into space. "They wouldn't be able to breathe."

"You know, sometimes I think you're not human," Sylvanus said, pointing at his hooded and masked associate.

"What, so you think I'm a fish?"

"That was just an expres- You know what, nevermind..." Sylvanus directed his attention back towards the remainder of the group. "Did the rest of you hear about Mann's death?" he asked, attempting to change the topic.

"Yeah, good riddance," Onmar replied, still not opening his eyes.

"Your amount of concern for our comrades really does baffle me sometimes," Tomoko said in disbelief, finishing her ice cream and inspecting the stick. "Hey I won!"

"Why should I care about a group of people who literally could not give less of a shit about me if they tried?" Onmar retorted, unclamping his hands behind his neck and tilting his head up. One pale green eye opened discerningly.

"You cared when you heard Mr Savagne died," the black-haired girl pointed out, pointing the popsicle stick towards him.

"That's because I liked him," Onmar grunted. "Almost made a bet with him about who could kill ten Shinigami the fastest."

"I take it he didn't take you up on that?" Sylvanus laughed. "Only an idiot would make that kind of bet with you.

"I know, shock horror..."

"Who do you think killed the most?" Di asked, staring off into space, her expression half-vacant.

"Probably one of the Sternritter that didn't fight a Captain," Basilisk replied.

"So you, then?" Tomoko said, scoffing.

"It's possible."

"You want to know what I wanna know?" Sylvanus asked.

"Not particularly," Onmar said, closing his eyes and laying back again.

"Why do you think Lord Yhwach left the Kurosaki boy alive?"

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki stood in one of the hallways of the Squad 4 barracks. Looking down at the stump of his left hand, he gritted his teeth and gripped the bandaged limb so tightly his wound nearly reopened.

He had heard everything there was to know about the invasion. About how much destruction there was; how many people he knew had been either injured or killed. All while he had been trapped in the World of the Living.

"Shit..." he hissed, lifting his hand up and burying his face in his palm before he could cry. The Fourth Division had already set his broken bones and mended them.

"Ichigo," Rukia said, walking down the hallway towards him. "You really came here..."

Turning to face his friend, he broke into a faraway expression. "Of course... Though..." He looked down at his missing left hand and felt a twinge of pain through his chest as he recalled the Quincy leader's words. "I couldn't do anything to help... Hitsugaya is dead, and Renji is-"

"Shut up, you idiot," Rukia suddenly said, cutting him off. Her words were that of her usual self, but her face and voice were gripped by discomfort. "You managed to drive away the enemy leader... So don't say you did nothing."

Clenching his fist, tightly, at his side, Ichigo forced a smile. "Okay..."

Standing in silence, the pair didn't so much as make eye contact. Regret and sorrow hung in the air around them, as if suspended from the ceiling. The sounds of hurried operations could be heard faintly.

"Ichigo..." suddenly came a stoic voice from one of the doorways leading to the treatment rooms. Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad Five was leaning against the door. His forehead was bandaged, and across his body were various small knicks and cuts.

"Oh, hey Shinji," Ichigo said, turning towards him and smiling slightly.

"Coming to check up on the patients?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." he replied, moving to rub the side of his head and realising too late that he was missing his hand. Attempting to mask his discomfort, he moved his eyes over the Captain. "How is Renji?"

"He'll live," Shinji replied, softly. "He's still critical, but he'll live. We were past the point of using Kido to heal him, so he had to be operated on to fix the reishi in his body. The most we can do now is wait..."

"That's good..." Ichigo said, relief flooding his voice as he looked down at the ground.

"This really is a fine mess we've landed ourselves in..." Shinji muttered, looking over Ichigo. "Though I must say... I'm glad that you've come here, Ichigo. A few of the other Captains may be too proud to admit it, but... We could really use your help."

"You don't have to-"

"I'm not just saying it," Shinji interjected. "If you hadn't arrived when you did, and drawn their attention, there might have been a lot more of us being buried tonight."

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" a voice called from the end of the hallway. A short man, sporting a pair of thin-rimmed glasses beckoned Ichigo. "Captain Kurotsuchi is looking for you. About your Zanpakuto... Sir."

Ichigo looked over Shinji and smiled. Placing his right hand on the Captain's shoulder he sighed, weakly. "Thank you, Shinji."

Beginning to walk down the hallway, the orange-haired young man glanced over his shoulder at Rukia. His eyes held a weary edge to them.

"I'll see you later, Rukia. Don't push yourself too hard... And keep an eye on Renji for me."

Watching Ichigo run from the building, Shinji placed his hands on his hips and broke into a sigh. "Your wounds haven't even completely healed and yet there you go... You're always thinking too much about others, Ichigo." He spoke only half to himself. The other half wished that he could have said this all to Ichigo.

"Captain Hirako..." Rukia said, clutching the top of her left arm. "Why... do you think Ichigo is so sad...? I've known him longer than anyone else in the Soul Society, so I've come to realise... He only smiles and acts cheerful like that when something serious is bothering him. The last time I saw him like this... was on the anniversary of his mother's death." Worry clung to her face like dew on grass. Her deep purple eyes were contorted in concern.

"His Zanpakuto was broken, and he feels like he couldn't save anyone," Shinji said, glancing back at the direction in which Ichigo had ran. "He must be tired..."

"I'm not sure that that's it..." Rukia said, softly. "Is it really just that? Somehow I feel... Like he's shouldering something far more serious than that..."

* * *

Ichigo ran through the incessant downpour towards the ruins of the Research and Development Institute. Rain soaked him through; his robes heavy on his body as he ran.

Yhwach's words pulsed through his mind.

_You know nothing about yourself..._

Ichigo bit down on his bottom lip.

_Not the circumstances of your birth..._

Ichigo ran faster, his limbs a wild flurry around his body. Water whipped from his form as he thrashed through the rain. A cry of anger caught in his throat.

_Nor your own mother._


	12. After the Fall 2

**Chapter 12: After the Fall 2**

Ichigo Kurosaki stood in the middle of what was left of the Research and Development Institute. Metal protrusions and cracked concrete decorated the ceiling above him, from where the building had been torn from its foundations. The surface lab had been completely destroyed. What Ichigo resided in was the sub-lab, existing underground.

Flashing lights and control panels filled the walls around him in a cornucopia of flashing lights and humming sounds. Other than that, the room was almost completely unlit.

On a workbench in front of him, lay the shards of Ichigo's broken Bankai.

"I'm sorry to say this, but fixing your Bankai is impossible," Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of Squad 12 said. His face was painted with a swries of black and white lines, and he sported an ostentatious attire resembling that of a golden Egyptian statue.

"What do you mean impossible?" Ichigo shouted, in disbelief. "You destroyed your own Bankai in the fight with Szayel-Apporo and managed to fix it."

"Remodelled it," Mayuri insisted, rolling his eyes. "I didn't fix it, I modified it, you stupid boy,"

He turned away and began to tap on a nearby control panel, talking over his shoulder at Ichigo.

"Ordinarily, when a Zapakuto is broken, all you need is the weilder's Reiatsu," he explained. "If you pour it into the blade steadily, over time, then the Zanpakuto will repair itself."

"Well if that's it then I should just take it home and-"

"You didn't let me finish." Mayuri turned back towards the orange-haired boy and locked his eyes in an unwavering gaze. "What I just said is true for the Shikai... Bankai is a completely different matter. A broken Bankai, will never return to how it once was."

Ichigo felt his heart leap in his chest. "What...?"

"Of course, there are exceptions," Mayuri went on. "Captain Komamura's Bankai is strongly linked to him. If he is injured, then so is his Bankai, and vice versa. While that is a great weakness, it also means that if he is healed, so is his Bankai." He pulled up a series of display graphs on a monitor behind him. "For research purposes, I have data on every Bankai in the Soul Society, and in all of my research, that is the only exception."

Ichigo began to tremble.

"Ikkaku Madarame's Bankai was destroyed in his battle with Edorad Lioness," Mayuri continued. "And while Akon was able to repair it somewhat, it is nowhere near as powerful as it was before..."

Ichigo forgot his anger for a brief second and pulled a dumbfounded face. "Ikkaku can Bankai?"

"Whoops, it appears I've said too much, Mayuri said, turning away. "Though it wasn't really much of a secret, he did make a point of telling nearly everyone about it... What an idiot."

Ichigo regained his stern expression. "What about Renji's Bankai? It got broken in his fight with Byakuya, and it seems fine now!"

"Have you ever counted the number of segments that make up his Bankai?"

Ichigo opened his eyes wide in shock.

"The segments of Renji's Bankai that were destroyed by Captain Kuchiki are still missing."

Ichigo gritted his teeth. "How am I supposed to fight without my Bankai?!"

"That's not my business," Mayuri stated, beginning to walk away from the boy. "My duty is only to report."

"This can't be the end of it!" Ichigo shouted, slamming his fist into the table on which his shattered blade lay. "You need to do something!"

"I do not need to do anything, Mr Kurosaki," said Mayuri, disinterested.

A sudden beeping filled the air. Opening his eyes wide, Mayuri reached inside his headdress and flipped some kind of hidden switch.

"Kurotsuchi... I see... Yes, he is with me." He sighed. "I shall come right away..." Turning back to Ichigo, he looked him up and down. Distasted plucked at his face slightly. "You need to come with me," he said. "They're going to want to meet you..."

"Who will?" Ichigo asked. "What's going on?"

"Squad Zero," Mayuri said, narrowing his eyes. "The Royal Guard are on their way here."

* * *

Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) stormed through the Silbern, his tattered white cloak flaring up at his back. His matted, dishevelled hair and matching beard jumped around his face. At his side, Legion's hand was trembling.

Pushing past a group of Soldat, he sent them tumbling over one-another and continued on his way.

"What's up with him?" Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) asked, looking down at the older Sternritter's advance from the top of a nearby building.

"He's been like that since the invasion," Snow (Sternritter Y) replied, sipping from the glass that he held in his hand. His long, womanly hair was pulled behind his head into a loose ponytail. "Even when he joined Joseph and I when we attacked the Head Captain, he was like it."

"What do you think it is?" the young woman asked, raising her hand to her face and beginning to chew on the flesh between her index finger and thumb.

"Not a clue..." Snow replied, gazing lazily down at the older man. "Maybe he's sick or something... His hand's been trembling a lot. It seems he's having difficulty gripping things. He's probably on his way to see Jamina now to fix it."

"Perhaps he's just getting old," Clarlonde said.

"Maybe..." the white-haired man said, returning his gaze to Clarlonde. His expression was flat and his pale eyes half-closed.

"I really wish you weren't so wishy-washy sometimes," Clarlonde said. "You're too apathetic. Girls don't like that, they like decisiveness; action."

"I'm not interested in girls, Clarlonde."

"Men like action too."

"I'm not interested in men, either," he snipped. Drinking a big gulp from the glass in his hand, again, he pulled a face and shook his head.

"What is your thing?" Clarlonde inquired. "I don't think I've ever asked."

"I don't have a 'thing'," Snow replied, putting his glass down on the table in front of him and pouring out another drink.

"Everyone has a thing."

"Not me."

"You really are a fascinating person," Clarlonde said, mockingly.

"I try." He tapped on another glass before pouring a second drink. "Have a drink with me: We're celebrating."

"Celebrating what?"

"The first invasion was a success, we've decimated the Shinigami. And most importantly..." He smiled to himself and sipped his own beverage. "I've killed a Captain and acquired myself a Bankai." Reaching over the table, he pushed the other glass towards Clarlonde. "So have a drink."

"I don't drink," she replied, pushing it back.

"It will help with those nerves of yours," Snow insisted.

"What nerves?" Clarlonde asked, defensively. She raised one eyebrow and began to chew on her hand again.

"You hide it well enough," he said, continuing to drink. "But nowhere near as well as you think you do. You talk confidently so people don't notice at first..." He pointed at her hand in front of her face. "But that's what gives you away."

Suddenly realising what she was doing, Clarlonde pulled her had away from her mouth and clasped it in her free hand atop her lap. Her purple eyes were twisted in distress.

"Don't worry," Snow said, calmly. "I won't tell anyone. But really..." He sipped again. "It is good for your nerves."

* * *

Jamina Jazdera (Sternritter I) was sat on her bed, reading. Her pink locks hung softly around her face and her red eyes were moving slowly, tracing the pattern of words that decorated the pages of the book she was reading.

The door on the far side of her room burst open and slammed against the wall. Legion Longstride stormed into Jamina's living quarters. His face was so wound up that the whites of his eyes formed close to perfect rings around his irises.

"You!" he shouted, hobbling over to her, using his white cane for support. "Heal me, now!"

"I already told you," Jamina said, putting her book down beside her and rising to her feet. "I can't heal your weak joints, they'll just go back to normal."

"Not that," he hissed, beginning to breathe hard. "Something happened to me in the invasion!"

"It's just a few burns," Jamina said, dismissing him as she walked towards the old man. Touching his arm, she smiled. "It could have been a lot worse; your Blut blocked most of it."

"That's not what I'm talking about," he snapped, shaking her off of his arm. He lifted his left arm and thrust the back of his hand into her face. "Look at this!" It was trembling violently. "I can't get it to stop!"

Jamina suddenly broke her lighthearted expression and pulled a concerned face. "Sit down."

Legion complied and sat down on a nearby chair.

"I need you to remove your mantle," Jamina said, indicating his tattered and stained cloak. She pulled a set of syringes and vials from a drawer beside her bed. "And your uniform."

Attempting to remove his clothes, Legion let out a frustrated cry of rage as his trembling hand fumbled with the buttons and pins. Jamina turned around, set down her utensils on the table and helped him.

As soon as she removed his shirt, Jamina gasped. The flesh under the his left arm, over his ribs, had begun to rot. Skin and muscle was peeling away from the bones and was a discoloured shade of brown.

"Oh my god..." she whispered, under her breath.

"What is it?" the old man grunted, looking down at where she was inspecting. "Holy shit..."

"The necrosis is spreading quickly," Jamina said, prompting Legion to lift his arm. "It's reached the nerves under your arms, which explains the trembling."

Jamina reached over towards the table and grabbed a syringe and a vial of clear liquid. Extracting a small amount of the fluid into the syringe, she turned it upside down and squirted a small amount of it out. Flicking the side of the instrument, airborne reishi flowed into it and the liquid had soon turned luminous blue.

Injecting the glowing fluid into Legion's forearm, Jamina looked up at him. "This should stop the necrosis. However, until I can figure out what's causing it, different symptoms could come up elsewhere."

Legion observed his side as the rotting flesh began to heal. Within several seconds, it had almost completely mended. "I'm glad we have you around... That ability of yours sure is convenient."

Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) chuckled and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Make sure you come back here every day. If you don't, I can't promise I won't come back."

"What do you think it is?" Legion asked, clenching his left fist repeatedly.

"Not a clue..." she said in reply. "Maybe one of the Shinigami did something to you. Like a spell or something."

"Maybe..." he muttered. "Still... I think I came out best. I got one of their Bankais after all."

* * *

Ten of the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen were gathered in the Rukongai, just outside the North Black Ridge Gate. Smoke could still be seen, rising from the wreckage of the Seireitei.

The weather was unusually pleasant, given the situation. The sun lapped gently at the ground, few clouds remaining in the sky to impede it. The sky was rich and blue, expanding endlessly overhead.

Ichigo was stood off to the side of the assembled party, glancing around himself in a confused fashion. "Where are the Zero Division based?" he asked, glancing over at Shinji Hirako. "And why didn't they come out during the fight with the Quincys?"

"They come from the Soul King's Palace," Shunsui Kyoraku suddenly said, not even bothering to turn around.

"But... Isn't the Soul King's Palace in the Seireitei?" Ichigo asked.

"Ichigo... Do you remember the first time you came here?" Kyoraku questioned, glancing over his shoulder. "The wall that surrounds the Seireitei came down from the sky. That wall is only supposed to come down during emergency situations... So I ask you: If it is only supposed to be here for emergencies, what is it usually protecting?"

Ichigo opened his eyes wide in realisation.

Byakuya Kuchiki, who was stood several feet to Kyoraku's left, turned back towards Ichigo. "Look up. They will be arriving soon."

Almost as if arriving on cue, an enormous stone pillar dropped from the sky and collided with the ground. Rock crushed and caved beneath it, and dust flew into the air. The resounding crash that accompanied it was so loud that Ichigo thought his eardrums were going to burst. He lifted his severed left wrist to shield his eyes from the dust.

"What the...?" he gasped, eyeing it as the dust cleared.

"The Tenchu-Uren," Byakuya explained. "This is the Zero Division's means of transportation."

"The members of the Zero Division are all inside of it," Kyoraku said, adding to the explanation.

"All of them?" Ichigo asked, eyes open wide. "But how do they all fit inside that thing?"

"The Zero Division only has five members," said Kyoraku, turning away from Ichigo as a door on the side of the pillar began to open. "All five of them are Captains. And... Their combined strength surpasses the entire force of the Gotei Thirteen, put together."


	13. The Royal Guard

**Chapter 13: The Royal Guard**

Ichigo had no idea what to make of what stood in front of him. His face was contorted into an expression of pure disbelief and horror.

"Wooooooo!" one of the Zero Division members hooted enthusiastically.

Another was honking a horn.

A third released multi-coloured streamers overhead.

_I literally have no response to this..._

The foremost member of the group was stout and bald with a long black beard and a wide smile. On his feet he wore strange sandals that were more like tall blocks of wood. Behind him, holding a banner over his head, was a lean man with a pompadour so huge that it almost blocked out the sun. Stood at the back of the group were two women; one monstrously obese and the other bearing an expression of terrifying melancholy. Poking his head around the body of the slender woman, was a thin yet muscular man with a black Afro and sunglasses. He was throwing the "victory" sign with his left hand and grinning widely.

"Nice to see you, yes it is!" the man with the pompadour shouted. "The Royal Guard are here!"

Ichigo felt the beginnings of a nosebleed dripping down his upper lip.

"What's the matter, Kurosaki?" Byakuya asked, glancing sidelong at him and indicating the blood.

"Nothing, just... An anuerysm out of sheer stupidity..."

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" Shinji said, distaste etched across his face.

"How are you feeling, little chickadees of the Gotei Thirteen?" the pompadour man continued to shout. "Are you eating and sleeping well? Huh?!"

Ichigo continued to stare, completely dumbfounded.

"I see why you're surprised," Shinji groaned. "They're clearly insane."

The Captain of Squad Five was suddenly struck across the back of the head by a huge ham-hock of a hand. Lurching forwards, he stumbled and fell to his knees.

"What the hell was that?!" Shinji shouted, lifting his head and glaring back at the obese woman who had arrived as part of the Royal Guard.

"Oh come on, Shinji-Chan," the woman laughed, playfully. "That was just a love-tap. Where is Hiyori-Chan? It's strange not seeing you two together!"

"What are you-!?" he shouted, before catching himself. Recognition phased onto his face. "Wait, you can't be...?"

"You're saying you don't recognise me?" Kirio Hikifune (former Captain of Squad Twelve) cried, pouting. Her huge frame shook as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It's me, Kirio!"

"K-Kirio Hikifune!" Shinji stammered, shocked. "What happened to you?! You look so different!"

"Oh-ho! Shinji!" Kirio laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "I haven't changed that much!"

"Of- course you haven't!" the blonde man said, catching himself. "I- it's just been so long since I've see how be-eeautiful you were!"

"You always were a charmer!" Kirio cried out, playfully slapping him across the arm and sending the Captain flying.

Meanwhile, the tallest member of the Zero Division had made his way over to Captain Retsu Unohana. Leaning forwards with his hands on his hips, his pompadour almost seemed to curve around the back of the woman's head, holding her in place.

"Yo..." he hissed. "Been a long time, Unohana." His eyes widened malevolently and his pupils pinpricked. "You still using those healing techniques I taught you?"

The female Captain remained calm. "Naturally."

"Really?!" he cried out, leaping backwards and throwing his hands up in the air. "Well if that were the case, then how come so many people died? Huh?!"

"Now now!" the portly bald man cried, leaping up and hooking his shoulder over his comrade's neck. "Let's not hound the poor woman! I know it's been a long time, but we can catch up later!"

"Well, it appears the Royal Guard haven't changed..." Shunsui Kyoraku said, slowly walking forwards; his expression deep and brooding. He was acting unusually out of character, compared to his usual cheerful self. "So tell me... What is your reason for finally showing up?"

The bald man turned towards Kyoraku and opened his eyes wide. Stood behind the Captain, Ichigo Kurosaki maintained his confused face. Rather than Kyoraku, it was him that the Zero Squad member's attention was directed to.

"You are Ichigo Kurosaki..." he said. "We have arrived in the Soul Society to enact the will of the Soul King and rebuild the Seireitei. But first... Ichigo Kurosaki; we shall be taking you to the Royal Palace."

"Don't fuck with me!" Captain Sui-Feng suddenly shouted.

The attention of everyone gathered simultaneously turned towards her.

"I don't care how important you are; where were you when we were being attacked?! While you were sitting back, the Seireitei was reduced to this!" She swung her arm and indicated the smouldering rubble that once was the Court of Pure Souls. "And now you have the gall to come here and say you'll rebuild it?! Give me a break!"

The bald man didn't even respond. Turning back to Kyoraku and Ichigo he began again: "As I was saying-"

"Hey!" Sui-Feng shouted. "I'm talking to you!"

As soon as she took a step forwards, she felt a hand around her wrist. Her arm was wrenched up her back and in pinned firmly in place.

"You're too loud," the pompadour man said, looking down at Sui-Feng and tightening his grip on her arm.

_When did he get behind me?! I didn't even see him move!_

"Give you a break?" he hissed. "That's my line. You're the Thirteen Court Guard Squads; it's your job to defend the Seireitei, not ours. Our job is to protect the Royal Palace. If you can't even do your job without help, then you're dishonouring your name."

Sui-Feng gritted her teeth and began to tremble. How dare he speak to me like that!

"I said, not now!" suddenly called out a musical voice.

The bald man leaped into the air and planted a karate-chop down on his comrade's head. Pompadour's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor, foaming at the mouth.

"We need to finish doing what we came here for." He folded his arms across his chest.

"That was a bit harsh..." Kyoraku said, looking down at the writhing Royal Guard.

"He needs to learn," the bald man said, matter-of-factly. "Before we get caught up with admonishing others and reminiscing old times, we must do the job we came here to do."

"There is no need," a calm female voice said. The second female member of the Royal Guard stood surrounded by two spheres, her face flat and emotionless. Around her, several automated arms, like those of a marionette, floated. "I have already gathered all of the things that we came here to collect."

Inside one of the flowing balls was Renji Abarai, his bandaged body and red hair just about visible past the glare of the sun. The second ball contained fragments of shattered black metal.

"All we need now..." the woman said, reaching out with one of her mechanical arms. "Is you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Curious..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi said, stepping forwards and rubbing his chin with his fingers. "Inside one of those spheres is Tensa Zangetsu, and yet I do not recall granting you access to my laboratory. How did you manage to worm your way inside?"

"Ah, Mayuri," Senjumaru Shutara (Master of Threads) said, tilting her head to the side. "I can assure you that I did not worm my way into anything... I merely reached out with my arms, and the doors yielded beneath them." She broke into a subtle smile. "Though I must commend you. Security is much tighter than the last time I paid it a visit."

"W-wait!" Ichigo suddenly cried out, gaining the attention of the Zero Division. "Why are you taking my Tensa Zangetsu? And why do you need me and Renji?"

The bald man looked him up and down, slowly. "You shall find out soon enough."

Ichigo was left to contemplate the meaning behind his words for several seconds. A brief flutter of hope filled his chest that, maybe they would be able to repair his Bankai. At the very least restore his hand.

His thoughts were ended as a cheerful voice cut through the silence.

**"Hellooooo~!"**

* * *

Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) swung her legs back and forth, over the edge of her work bench. Hanging from her mouth was half of a sandwich, that had been cut into a triangle.

Seemingly lost in thought, her fingers blurred as she worked on a puzzle box. Clicking of wood on wood filled the room.

During the first invasion, Adelaid had made a point of participating as little as possible. It wasn't that she was lazy, far from it. It was more due to the fact that being an active member would have meant associating with the other Sternritter.

Adelaid was a very quiet and private girl, much preferring her own company over that of others.

The truth of the matter was, there was only one Sternritter who she was actually able to talk to. And even then, it could not happen very often.

Placing the completed puzzle down on the table beside her, Adelaid pushed her bright blue hair behind her ear and finally took a bite out of the sandwich clasped between her teeth. Chewing the snack, she leapt down from the table and began to walk through her personal quarters.

The room was spacious yet cosy, with a high ceiling. As with most, if not all, of the architecture withing the Silbern, every surface was white. Silver objects occasionally broke apart the absence of colour, holding focus cleanly.

Adelaid's eyes flicked over the room and noticed a small fly sitting on the wall. Firing a needle-like blast of spirit energy, she vaporised the bug with a subtle tut.

"That bastard..." she muttered under her breath, before finishing her sandwich.

Opening the door to her room, Adelaid exited and began to walk down the hallway outside of her lodging. Making for the Palace, she lost herself in thought.

_I don't think I'll be able to get away with just killing a few random Shinigami next time... _she thought._ During the second invasion, His Majesty will definitely want all of us on the front lines. That means I'm probably going to have to at least talk to the others. Unless Lenora decides to go all control-freak again and plan the attack for us. That way I can get off without having to put in my two cents..._

Turning a corner, Adelaid exited the building. Feeling the chilling air against her exposed legs, she regretted her choice of short-shorts as her unique modification to the Sternritter uniform. Then again, she did think that they made her look cute.

Black combat boots crunched against the snow that littered the floor. As another wisp of wind blew past her, she reached down and pulled up her light blue stockings higher on her thighs.

Adelaid stopped dead in the middle of the street. Sitting in the snow, looking around itself, was a snow rabbit. Its white pelt almost completely blended the animal with it's surroundings; save for its eyes.

She felt a deep emotion surge through her body. Adelaid began to tremble. Her hair turned from its usual shade of blue to bright red. "It's... It's..."

Adelaid leapt into the air and dived for the rabbit.

"So cuuuuute~!"

* * *

Watching Adelaid chase the bunny, from the window of his lodging, Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) sighed deeply.

Despite her distant and quiet persona, much like his own, Adelaid had a curious fondness for creatures or individuals that she found "cute". The whole idea was strange and alien to the white-haired man.

Clambering down from the ledge, back into his room, Asuma thought to himself. He was disappointed that he was unable to acquire a Bankai during the initial attack on the Shinigami.

He had even specifically chosen his point of entrance close to the Squad Six barracks in hopes of encountering Byakuya Kuchiki for that very purpose. Unfortunately, Joseph had gotten to him first and Asuma was left to fight against an opponent so weak that he had defeated Renji before he could even think about using Bankai.

Flexing his fingers, Asuma eyed the tendons in his wrist.

He was glad that the first invasion had happened at night; it meant that he was able to fight without pulling any punches. Unfortunately all of the strange weather that occurred within the Seireitei during the attack had dampened his reaction time slightly. In a perfect world, the second invasion would happen at night as well.

Asuma looked out of his window. It was always night in the Silbern.

He wondered if, during the next attack, he would be able to fight a member of the Royal Guard.


	14. Shooting Star Project

**Chapter 14: Shooting Star Project [Royal Tracklist]**

**"Hellooooo~!"** rang out a lighthearted voice.

Ichigo glanced down and pulled out the cellphone that Urahara had given him. Flipping it open, Ichigo was greeted with a projection of the store owner shooting into the air, from the screen of the device.

**"It's nice to see you everyone!" **he said. **"My my, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" **Beneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, Urahara was smiling cheerfully. **"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to connect, but I'm afraid there was a lot of interference your end. I must say, Mayuri, you really do need to build your communications towers with stronger stuff."**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi hissed between his teeth and attempted to swipe the phone from Ichigo's hand. The orange-haired youth pulled it out of the way and looked up at the hologram.

"Urahara!" he shouted. "What happened to the Quincy I was fighting after I left?"

**"Oh, Mr DaVinci!" **Urahara clapped his hands.** "As you can see..."** The image on the projection moved rapidly to the side to reveal an elderly man chained against a rock. **"He's been detained. Fascinating, I must say. I was able to learn so much about our foes from studying him."**

The gathered Captains and Squad Zero members all eyed the hologram with soft focus on their faces.

"And what have you discovered?" Shunsui Kyoraku asked, taking a step forwards.

**"I'm so glad you asked!"** Urahara said, as the camera's focus returned to him. **"I'm sure you're all more than aware of the ability that they possess, whereby they are able to steal an individual's Bankai."** Rose and Komamura gritted their teeth. **"They do this by using a small medallion that they possess. I managed to retrieve one from the arm of an Arrancar the enemy used to surprise Ichigo at the beginning of the battle. I'm currently in the process of analysing it in order to determine a weakness that we could exploit."** He steepled his fingers in front of his body. **"However, that is far from their only power... I noticed when the Quincy was fighting Ichigo that he was able to block slashes from a Zanpakuto with his bare hands. This technique is something called Blut. There are two variations two it, but the premise for both is the same: The Quincys infuse their blood with reishi and pass it through their systems. However, there is one major weakness to it. There are two separate kinds, one for attack and the other for defence... And as such, they cannot be operated at the same time."**

Several of the Captains opened their eyes wide in dismay. With this kind of information they would certainly be able to come up with counter-measures against their enemy.

**"Another ability that I managed to discover, during my own encounter with the Quincy, is known as the Vollständig,"** Urahara continued. **"In an attempt to quickly dispatch me and chase after Kurosaki-Kun, Mr DaVinci activated it and fought me. I'm sure you're all aware of the Quincy Letz-Stil... The Vollständig is, essentially, an upgraded version of this. It overcomes all of the downsides to the Letz-Stil, and grants the user insurmountable power. Think of this as the Quincy's version of Bankai. It is by far the easiest of their abilities to recognise, as it changes their appearance drastically."**

"None of them used such a thing in the invasion," Komamura said, taking a step forwards and lowering his brow over his yellow eyes.

**"Which gives you an idea of just how dangerous these enemies are," **Urahara said.** "They were able to reduce Soul Society to this without even using their full power."**

Ichigo swallowed hard. Beneath the bandage adorning his left arm, his severed wrist throbbed.

**"Furthermore-"** Urahara began, before being cut off.

**"Hey! What the hell are you doing over there?!"** the voice said, sharply.

Ichigo gasped and opened his eyes, wide. "Urahara, that voice... Why is-?"

**"Huh?! What's that I can hear? Is that that bastard Kurosaki?!"**

Urahara whirled away from the camera and dashed towards the apparent source of the voice. **"No! No! He's not here!"**

**"Don't lie to me! Kurosaki!"**

**"Ururu, Tessai! Restrain him!"**

**"AAAAHHHHH!"**

"Urahara, why is he there?!" Ichigo shouted. "Answer me!"

**"Ichigo..."** Urahara said, finally moving back on-screen. His voice was low and his expression strangely serious. **"There is no need to worry about me. Instead... Focus on what is needed. Do what you need to do. I trust you to make the right decision."** He broke into a slight smile and indicated the individual that had interrupted him.** "And if you're worried about him, don't. I was the one who brought him here... I managed to make a very nice contract with him."**

The hologram vanished as the communication ended.

Ichigo clenched his one remaining fist. He took a deep breath.

"Hey, bald guy," he said, directing the question at the Zero Squad member that had addressed him earlier. "If I come with you... Will you be able to fix my Tensa Zangetsu... And give me back my hand?"

"I'm afraid that is impossible," the man replied. "Broken Bankais cannot be fixed, and hands cannot be reformed from nothing."

Ichigo hung his head. His voice caught in his throat.

"However," the bald man continued. "In the Royal Palace it would be possible to re-forge your sword into something similar to the original."

Ichigo found his voice and turned to face the Zero Division. His expression was stern and filled with resolve. "Okay. Take me to the Palace."

* * *

Yhwach sat upon his throne, gazing down upon the Silbern.

The cool air of the eternal night swept past him, catching his long black hair and wild mutton chops. Breathing out slowly, his breath fluttered out into the air as a whisp of smoke. Deep crimson eyes lingered on the buildings in melancholy.

The Quincy King was roused from his subdued state by the sound of a voice.

"Your Majesty," Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) said, bowing low before approaching his throne.

"Ah, Lenora," he said, turning his head and peering out of the corner of his eye. "What brings you to my chamber?"

"We have located Uryu Ishida, as you instructed, sir," Lenora said, pushing her red and purple hair behind her ear.

"Good..." Yhwach said, his deep voice echoing through the room. "Who was it that identified him?"

"I believe it was Luuders, Your Majesty," she replied, placing her hands on her hips and leaning back.

"Then he has served his purpose." Yhwach's eyes returned to the horizon. "Have him executed."

"Your Majesty..." Lenora said, hesitantly. "If you pardon my rudeness... Arrancar are a valuable resource, as they do not require military training. Are you sure that it's wise to kill them so indiscriminately?"

"It doesn't matter," Yhwach said. "If we need more, we can find as many as we want. After all... Hueco Mundo is already under our control." A sinister smile plucked his lips. "It's just another stepping stone to our victory over the Soul Society."

* * *

Zeit Mehere (Sternritter O) sat on the edge of an overhanging cliff. His hair was white and fluffy, flaring up from his head like soft flames. Several whips of hair on the right side of his head stood out, jet black. Draped over his Sternritter uniform, he wore a silver poncho, trimmed with red.

His eyes, pitch black, stared down at the dome of Las Noches. The enormous roof was almost completely destroyed. All around it, Hueco Mundo was burning.

The white sand was on fire. Blue flames curled upwards, lapping at the sky. They showed no signs of extinguishing.

Drumming his fingers against the rock, Zeit's childlike face broke into a pout. He very rarely spoke, meaning a number of his fellows chose to avoid him. Hueco Mundo was perfect for him. It was peace and quiet.

The Jagdarmee were busy below him rounding up yet more Arrancar for forced conscription into the Vandenreich ranks. Their invasion of the Hollow territory had occurred surprisingly smoothly.

The only anomaly had been the record of a Garganta opening several miles away from their base in Las Noches. However, given the situation, one or two Hollows escaping to the world of the living was not uncommon.

A crackle filled Zeit's head as the receiver in his ear sprang to life.

**"Zeit, are you there?"** Lenora's voice asked. **"Tap the receiver if you are."**

Reaching up, the boy tapped on the device in his ear. He heard a slight thump as the strike roused a pulse of bass.

**"Good,"** Lenora said. **"I need you to round up one final Squad of Arrancar. Once you're finished with that, return to the Silbern. We've received a report that the Royal Guard have finally appeared in the Soul Society. The second invasion will be happening soon, so we're going to need you back."**

Zeit tapped on the earpiece again, to signal that he understood.

**"Okay,"** the woman replied. **"I'll see you soon."**

* * *

Ichigo stared up at the sign, his face a mixture of annoyance and confusion.

Above him, two gigantic stone statues held a bright red banner, reading: "Welcome to Kukaku Shiba's Palace".

"Why on earth are we here?" he asked, his face not breaking from the expression that held it.

"What do you mean, why are you here?!" Kukaku Shiba raged, storming up to him. "Is that any way to greet me after so long? You keep that attitude up and I'm not going to launch you!"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, exasperated. He slumped over, deflated from the mental stress of having to deal with Kukaku and the Zero Squad.

The bald member of the Zero Division hopped to the side and indicated the pillar that the Royal Guard had descended in, in a theatrical manner. "She is talking about shooting us back up in this!"

"You've got to be kidding me?"

"Now why would I do that, Ichigo Kurosaki?" he asked, his eyes wide and blank. "Look at the Tenchuuren; can you see any kind of propulsion system on it? It can't make it's way back up to the Royal Palace on it's own."

"So much for the legendary Zero Division," Ichigo groaned, averting his eyes and scratching his head.

Looking around the familiar surroundings of Kukaku's house, Ichigo realised that something was amiss.

"Hey, Kukaku... Where's Ganju?" he asked, pulling a confused face.

"Not a clue," she replied, slightly disgruntled. "He's probably off playing with his new friends or something..." Her single arm indicated the statues holding aloft the sign above her house. "Or would you believe me if I said I'd turned him into stone and made him hold up the banner?"

Ichigo only groaned and buried his face in his hand.

"So," the bald man said, slapping him on the back. "Are you ready to depart?"

"Call me crazy, but I really don't think this is safe," Ichigo said, as the stone pillar was lifted into the Flower Crane Cannon.

"Nonsense, my boy," he replied, his smile wide and beaming. "For centuries, he Shiba clan has been entrusted with the transportation of the Royal Guard. What did you think this cannon was for?"

"Fireworks," Ichigo said, bluntly, without missing a beat.

The Squad Zero member burst out laughing, repeatedly slapping the orange-haired youth in the back. "Very amusing, Ichigo Kurosaki!" he howled, following the boy into the cannon and entering the stone pillar.

"I wasn't joking," Ichigo said, exasperated.

Looking around himself, Ichigo's flat expression suddenly filled with intrigue. The inside of the stone column was not what he was expecting. The walls and floor were perfectly flat and smooth; so much so that it no longer looked like rock, but rather polished porcelain. Around the edge of the open space were several seats; room for the five Zero Division members, plus another three. Floating in the middle of the pillar were the two orbs that Shutara had enclosed around Renji, and Ichigo's Zanpakuto.

The Royal guard members assumed their positions, sat upon the seats, and Ichigo followed suit. As soon as he sat down, however, he realised something was amiss.

"Um... There aren't any seatbelts?" he said, unsure over what was going on.

The bald man only stared at him, blankly. "What are seatbelts?"

The Tenchuuren was launched into the air with so much force that it soon disappeared into the sky. The only thing that remained were the sounds of Ichigo's terrified screams.

As Kukaku stood, looking up at the sky, a figure walked up behind her.

"You missed your chance to see him off," she said, not even bothering to turn around. "Are you really okay with that?"

"I'll be able to see him soon enough," came the reply. "In the meantime, I can just focus on getting stronger."

"I guess you're right," Kukaku smirked. "Still... Letting him go to the Royal Palace. Do you think uncle will be okay with it?"

"He was going to find out eventually," the figure said.

"Hey," Kukaku said, finally turning around. "Ganju!"

Ganju Shiba, who was in the process of walking away, looked back at his sister. "Yeah?"

"Don't think I'm going to let you off if you don't fight in the next invasion." Kukaku broke into another smile.

"Don't worry," a large man with slicked back black hair said, appearing around the side of the building. "I don't think he's going to skip out on it."

"So I take it you're going to be fighting then, Ginjo?" another man said, addressing the first. He had long hair and a scar across his forehead.

"Of course," Ginjo replied, flicking his eyes to the side. "It's the least I can do to repay these guys for taking me in. Wouldn't you agree, Tsukishima?"

Tsukishima broke into a strange smile. "I guess you're right." He folded his arms over his chest. "Still... It is a shame that Giriko Kutsuzawa declined Miss Shiba's offer to train here."

"Each to their own," Ginjo said, turning his attention back towards Ganju. "So... You going to resume training with us, or not?"

Ganju broke into a smirk. "Of course."


	15. Hot Springs Demon

**Chapter 15: Hot Springs Demon**

The door to the Tenchuuren swung open as the pillar landed in the Royal Palace. Ichigo fell from the contraption, his head twisted at an odd angle.

Cursing the device for its lack of seatbelts, Ichigo rubbed the side of his head with his right hand and rose to his feet. Due to his closed eyes, he still had yet to look upon the Palace.

"Open your eyes, Ichigo Kurosaki!" the bald man said, laughing cheerfully. "For we have arrived!"

Opening his eyes, Ichigo drank in his surroundings. Expanding ahead of him was a wide white pathway, decorated and framed by numerous white pillars. At the end of the path, there appeared to be a large city, above which floated a flat platform. Snaking up through this city, from the edge of the path and connected to the platform, was a long staircase.

Higher still, five humongous disks were suspended in midair. Atop these structures, the specs of five more cities could be seen.

At the centre of it all, was a construct beyond comprehension. Resembling a giant cocoon, formed from stone, it hung in the very middle of the sky. Thousands of windows adorned its sides. It almost seemed to draw Ichigo's gaze towards it, like a magnetic force.

"You should feel honoured!" the bald man said, smiling absent-mindedly as he began to walk down the path. "A simple Shinigami is not usually allowed to enter this place." He pulled an odd face and placed his finger against his bottom lip. "However, it isn't really right to say that you are a 'simple Shinigami', is it?"

Ichigo didn't bother to listen to the bald man. His attention was still completely focused on the Palace ahead of him.

_This is what Aizen was trying to get to..._

As he thought about his battle with Aizen, and his old enemy's goal, he came to a sudden realisation.

"H-hang on a second!" he called out, after the Zero Division, who were already far ahead of him. "I thought you needed an Oken in order to enter the Palace! When did we use one?"

The man with the pompadour turned and grinned. Lifting his arm, he pulled down his sleeve and exposed his limb. "This is the Oken." He clenched is fist and flexed his muscles. "The Oken is a gift granted by the Soul King to those who become a member of the Royal Guard. The only way to enter the Palace is if you come with us or we decide to let you in."

Ichigo's eyes were open wide with confusion as he looked at the man.

"The Oken is our bones themselves," the bald man explained, joining his comrade. "What Aizen was trying to do, to enter the Palace, was to create life itself."

Senjumaru Shuutaru continued along the pathway, her robes billowing around her. "He was attempting to defile God by creating life itself. Attempting to become the new God." She looked over her shoulder, past the orbs floating behind her. "Sosuke Aizen was truly the personification of evil."

* * *

"Have you heard?" Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) said, leaning back in the chair in which he sat. "His Majesty has ordered Zeit to return here."

"Really?" Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) asked, surprise plucking her face. "That must mean the next invasion really is going to be it."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Sylvanus said, glancing sidelong at her. "We're really playing all of our cards at once."

"Do you think we're all going to survive this?" Jamina questioned, turning her feet outwards and placing her chin in her hands.

"I'm not sure," Sylvanus replied. "We lost two in the first invasion, after all." He scratched at the black stubble around the back of his head.

"If more of the Sternritter do get hurt, do you think I'll be able to save all of them?" Her deep red eyes focused on Sylvanus' face, discerningly. Despite her often ditsy and carefree attitude, Jamina was very astute and thoughtful when the time arose.

"I don't think you should think like that," he said, closing his eyes. "You shouldn't focus on what-if's. You just need to save who you can and be glad that you've saved anyone at all."

Jamina stared at her comrade for a long while. "It's all so easy for you isn't it?" She suddenly said. "You have the option to pick and choose. If it's someone that you like, you can help them... And then if not, you can just as easily walk away."

"It's not that simple," Sylvanus said, still with his eyes closed. "You're right, there aren't very many Sternritter that I like, but... If I saw someone dying, I don't think I could walk away. Even if they were someone that I hated."

The young girl studied the older man. A lock of bright pink hair fell in front of her face as she tilted her head to the side. "And why is that?"

"I've seen death," he explained. The muscles in his neck rose up as every tendon in his body simultaneously tensed. "Before I was a Sternritter. It's an ugly thing."

"Even when it's someone you hate? Or an enemy?"

Sylvanus opened his eyes and stared off into space. "Especially then. We're ordered to kill, and we're good at it... But in spite of that, and maybe even because of that, you still need to respect the dead. The dying. And because we're not allowed to save the enemy, the most we can do is help our comrades."

"You're talking like a Doctor," Jamina said, a slight smile gripping the corner of her lips.

"I almost was," he said, his face stern and calm. "I trained in medicine before becoming a Sternritter."

Jamina did a double-take. "I never knew that."

"I don't tell many people," Sylvanus explained. "It's not really something you'd need to know."

"Really?" Jamina laughed. "I think you don't tell anyone because you're afraid it will damage that tough-guy persona you have." She smiled and pushed the stray lock of hair out of her face. "You're the first one to say that you're a fighter not a thinker, but I don't think that's true... You're very with it, you don't just rush into fights."

"Haha, is that a fact?" he laughed, finally dropping into somewhat of a lighthearted mood. "Very in-depth analysis you have there." He stopped leaning back and fell forwards, his elbows finding place on the table in front of him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had been watching me."

"I don't watch anyone," Jamina said, half-daydreaming as she looked up at the window.

"I beg to differ," Sylvanus chuckled, his grey eyes twisting in amusement.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, pouting.

"You watch Basilisk all the time. Don't think that people don't notice it. I see the way you blush when he talks to you."

"I do not!" cried Jamina, covering her face with her hands, to hide the fact that she had turned bright red.

Sylvanus sat and watched her fret. He smiled softly and ran his fingers back through his grey hair.

"Just... be careful," he suddenly said, squinting his eyes ever so slightly.

Breaking from her girlish fit, Jamina looked over towards her comrade and pulled a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"It's okay to look, but..." He scanned her face quickly. "Don't aim for anything more. He's more like a machine than a human."

"I know that," Jamina said, sighing. "If it came down to it, I know that Basilisk would only ever look out for himself. He wouldn't go out of his way to help anyone else. I think that's the difference between us and him..."

"I think that's the difference between us and most of the others," Sylvanus muttered.

In spite of claiming that himself and Jamina were different from the others, Sylvanus knew that there was another side to the young girl. A side that he very rarely saw, but was aware of all the same. Even in their conversation that they had just had, he noted that while he expressed compassion towards their enemies, the girl had not even batted an eyelid.

* * *

Ichigo stood in the centre of a large white disk, his face contorted in confusion.

"So explain to me again what's going on?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

"What does it look like?" the pompadour man replied, stopping mid-swing. Above his head he held a giant mallet. "I'm going to hit this pressure switch with the hammer and launch you through the sky."

"Yeah, I understand that... But why?"

"What do you mean, why? You're going to my Castle, the Kirinden. How else are you going to get there?" He prepared to swing again. "Now hold still. You move a muscle and you could wind up dead. This is delicate stuff."

"Why would I want to go to your Castle?!" Ichigo shouted. "I thought I was going to see the Soul King!"

"Whaaaat?" the tall man asked, stopping short yet again. "You really think an idiot like you is fit to meet the Soul King?!"

Just as the man was about to continue further on his rant, he was struck across the back of the head. Falling forwards, his face slammed into the ground and he let out a loud cry of pain.

"Explain it properly you idiot!" Kirio Hikifune shouted, as the man with the pompadour attempted to shakily lift his head from the floor.

Walking towards Ichigo, the rotund woman took the orange-haired youth tenderly by the stump of his left wrist. Leading him from the platform, she indicated the floating disks in the sky and began to explain.

"On those trays in the sky are the quarters of the members of the Royal Guard," Kirio said, her plump face never breaking from her smile. "Our individual Castles. And that object floating in the middle is the Greater Palace; where the Soul King resides. Where we are now is the Vestibule Road." She indicated Ichigo's injuries. "I would not do you well to meet His Majesty in that state. That is why you need to visit our Castles; so that we can properly fix you up."

"So you're sure you can do that?" Ichigo asked, his eyes lowering in a half-disheartened fashion and lingering on his missing hand.

"Well, there are limits," Kirio stated, patting his bandaged stump gently. "And while we may not be able to restore your hand, we can build you up and make you stronger."

Ichigo smiled weakly.

"Hey! You done over there?" the man with the pompadour shouted, having finally recovered from the strike. "We need to get this show on the road!"

"Okay, okay!" Ichigo called out, throwing his arms up in the air and walking back to the platform. "So where was I supposed to stand aga-?!"

The second Ichigo's feet touched the disk, pompadour man swung the mallet down and struck the pressure switch. The Substitue Soul Reaper was launched through the air, screaming as he went.

* * *

Sternritter B, Nina Redwing, was walking the many roads and alleyways of the Silbern. Ice hanging from the lips of roofs dripped down onto the shoulders of her white cloak and a chilling wind bit at her skin.

Her crimson hair was whipped around her face by the cold breeze. Deep brown eyes flicked over the walls surrounding her. Every so often she caught sight of a fly or an insect, the dark colours clashing with the white surroundings. They let her know what she was getting close.

She had been searching for it for weeks. Finally, she felt like she was growing close. Her persistence had paid off.

Nina hated not knowing things. Her natural curiosity never allowed her to just give up and leave something unknown. Mysteries attracted her, and her current endeavour was far from an exception.

Ever since she had heard about it, she had made it her mission to find it.

However, the fact that she only really talked to Adelaid (Sternritter X) had made things far more complicated than they needed to be. Had she enjoyed the company of her fellows more, Nina could have gleaned knowledge from them about the object of her obsession.

_No matter... _she thought to herself. Glancing down at the floor, she noticed a long line of _Ants...?_

Studying the small insects, a smile plucked the corner of Nina's mouth.

_They're all carrying things... Which means they must be heading back to their anthill, as opposed to leaving it. If that's the case, all I need to do now is follow them._

Ever since Nina realised that Kirmie never attended Sternritter meetings, she began to grow curious. Adelaid had told her that the individual usually sent bugs in his place; a strange statement that had, of course, added fuel to the growing fire of Nina's interest. It wasn't long before she decided to locate his living quarters to satiate her curiosity.

And now, she was almost there.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me," a voice suddenly said, echoing through the dimly lit alleyway. It had a strange tone to it; as if numerous people were speaking at once. In the background, an odd clicking sound perforated the silence.

Nina smiled every so slightly. "So you saw me coming?"

"I see everything," the voice said. "Why did you take it upon yourself to look for me?"

"I couldn't stand not knowing where you actually were, Kirmie," Nina said.

"Is that all?" the voice buzzed, the sound reverberating against the walls.

"That's all."

"So what are you going to do now that you've found me?"

"Nothing," Nina replied, folding her arms and leaning on the wall behind her. "I know where you are now. I've lost interest."

"You really are a strange one," the voice said.

"That coming from you?" asked Nina. Her brown eyes were focused on a small crack, running up the side of a wall, from where it connected to the ground. Into the fissure, numerous insects were pouring.

No words came in response to her question. Instead, a wet, gurgling sound met her ears. It appeared the owner of the voice was laughing.

Nina stopped leaning and turned away from the crack; heading back the way she'd come. Glancing over her shoulder, through her deep red hair, she smiled. "I hope I'll see you on the battlefield next time; instead of skulking in some corner somewhere. And if you don't fight, I'll make a point of finding you myself."

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki sat in the middle of a hot spring. The wet towel on his head clung to his skin as, in spite of the water, he was sweating. Steam rose up in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision. Hot water lapped around his shoulders.

Beside the youth, the man with the pompadour lounged lazily.

Above him, pouring from the tops of rocks and numerous bamboo pipes, boiling water splashed into the spring. The sound of the water cascading down and the bamboo clacking against the rocks reverberated inside Ichigo's head. Over, and over, and over, and-

"Why is this so loud?!" Ichigo suddenly screamed. Leaping from the bath, onto the rocks, he pointed down at the Squad Zero member. "And more than that, why the fuck am I here?!"

"Shut up..." he groaned in response. "If you don't stop screaming your towel is going to fall off."

"I'm supposed to be preparing to meet the Soul King!" Ichigo shouted. "Why am I just sitting in a hot spring!?"

"You're too loud..." the man tutted. As he said this, a tuft of bright red hair bobbed up out of the water beside him. Noting it, he looked down and gripped it before pulling it out of the water, like a turnip from fresh earth. Renji's bandaged face emerged from the spring. "Huh..." pompadour muttered. "You weren't supposed to pop up like that."

Ichigo stared, dumbfounded, as Renji's head was forced beneath the water once again. "What are you doing?! Isn't it dangerous for him to be underwater like that?! And when did he even get here?!"

"If you haven't got anything meaningful to say, shut up..." the man muttered, continuing to hold down on Renji's head as bubbled floated to the surface of the water. "This is my super special, secret healing technique."

"How the hell does hot spring water heal people?!" Ichigo shouted, his face wound up through the sheer stress of having to deal with something so ridiculous.

"Weren't you Kisuke Urahara's pupil?" the man with the pompadour asked, standing up and folding his arms. He was revealed to be wearing a loincloth that left almost nothing to the imagination.

"I'm not his pu-!" Ichigo began, however he was soon cut off.

"Didn't you ever take a dip in the hot spring inside his and Yoruichi's playground?" He turned towards Ichigo and broke into a grin. "He was able to make that after analysing the properties of my special hot spring water."

Ichigo stared dumbfounded as he recalled a very similar situation after his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki.

"So just sit still. Wounds like yours won't even take a day to heal. If anything you'll be even healthier than you were before. Just leave it all in the good hands of Tenjirou Kirinji, the Demon of the Hot Springs."


	16. Killer's Not Dead

**Chapter 16: Killer's Not Dead**

Shunsui Kyoraku (Captian of Squad Eight) sat looking at the letter in his hands. The paper felt rough and brittle between his fingers. Ink rubbed off against his skin, staining it black.

He let out a low sigh of disappointment.

There was a knock at the door to his personal quarters, and his Lieutenant, Nanao Ise entered the room.

"Captain, if you're here then answer me!" she said, annoyed. Straightening her glasses, she suddenly realised that he was acting much more somber than usual. "What's wrong...?"

Still looking down at the letter, he read the message over and over.

**Shunsui Souzousuke Jirou Kyoraku,**

**As of today, you have been appointed as the Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen and the Captain of the First Division. You are to immediately report to the Central 46, for your instatement to the position.**

"Damn..." Kyoraku muttered under his breath. "I'm really not suited to all of this serious stuff..."

* * *

Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) walked through the entrance to the Palace with his hands on his hips. His fluffy white and black hair flared behind him like whisps of flame. His poncho was billowing in the wind.

Sat on the roof of a nearby building, Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) watched him walk.

Zeit returning to the Silbern was the talk of the Sternritter and Soldat alike. He had made a name for himself in Hueco Mundo after he had single-handedly defeated the current ruler, Tier Halibel.

Onmar pulled an expression of distaste. "And just like that, someone else who I can't stand arrives..."

As Zeit walked into the ice palace, he was greeted by Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C). Her deep red cloak was wrapped tightly around her body and her matching red lips were holding a subtle smile.

"It's been a long time since I've seen that face," she said, reaching out for Zeit's hand.

Clasping Lenora's palm, Zeit shook it without a word. His coal black eyes held her form and scanned her face. His young features broke into a smile.

The pair began to walk through the cavernous entrance hall, their footsteps echoing around the area. Breath hung in the air as thin clouds of smoke.

As Lenora explained the situation and the events of the previous invasion, Zeit listened intently. He didn't so much as bat an eyelid when his comrade informed him of Ferdinand and Mann's deaths.

Reaching the middle of the large room, the pair were attended to by a member of the Soldat. Carrying a tray laden with glasses and silver containers of alcohol, he poured the two Sternritter drinks before excusing himself.

Lenora raised her glass. "Cheers."

Zeit smiled and drank his own beverage.

"We'll be having a meeting of the Sternritter tonight," Lenora explained, watching her companion and smiling. "If you want to, you can just stay here. If not, I've prepared some living quarters for you."

The young man nodded his head in thanks and winked.

Lenora, in spite of her usually stern persona, felt her heart flutter. The boy always held an unusual power over her that she just couldn't place.

Zeit's black eyes watched her, a smile on his lips. Everything he could have possibly said came through in his eyes. He waved Lenora off and made his way into the corner of the entrance hall before sitting with his legs crossed.

* * *

Shunsui Kyoraku stood in the middle of the Central 46's chamber. His usual hat was removed, as was his trademark flowery kimono. The face he was pulling was unusually serious.

The various members of Central 46 present were all screaming with rage.

"Two Vice Captains?!" one of them shouted. "How ridiculous!"

"One Captain! One Lieutenant!" another screamed. "That is the way that we have always done things!"

"And how well has that been working out for you?" Kyoraku asked; his voice flat.

"You impudent-!"

"3rd Seat Okikiba of the First Division is exceptional at practical business," Kyoraku explained, sharply, cutting off the bureaucrat. "And Nanao Ise is my perfect partner. She will accompany me in the field. They are both perfect for the position."

"You cannot just do as you like!"

"Every Captain has the right to appoint and dismiss their own Lieutenant as they wish. You were the ones who decided this."

The Central 46 stewed in quiet outrage as the new Captain Commander spoke.

"Now can I continue?" Kyoraku asked, peering from the corner of his eye at the congregation. A smile plucked his lips. "Good. My first official movement as the Captain Commander... Is to teach Kenpachi Zaraki the way of the sword."

All of the gathered men immediately locked up. Sweat gripped their faces and their voices caught in their throats. Finally, one managed to speak up.

"A... Are you insane?!"

"Ichigo Kurosaki has departed for the Royal Palace, but there is no guarantee that he will return in time," Kyoraku explained. "We cannot rely on him for everything. We need a combative force capable of holding off the Quincy forces. Captain Zaraki's battle power is extremely important and at this current time, he is not strong enough."

"We absolutely cannot allow this!" one of the Central 46 screamed. "What if he becomes too powerful and starts a revolt?! Have you considered that?!"

"Who is going to keep him under control?!"

"Have you forgotten that Genryusai stopped his instruction after only one day?!"

"Then what do you propose we do?" Kyoraku asked, his face stoic and unmoving. "As it stands, we will not survive another attack. Do you think you'll be able to protect yourselves? Because if so, I would happily recruit you to the front lines."

The men collectively bit their tongues.

"That's what I thought," Kyoraku muttered. "I'm glad I've managed to gain your consent." He looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the room, before calling out. "You can come out now! I'll be leaving Captain Zaraki to you."

Stepping from the shadows, Captain Retsu Unohana revealed herself. Her expression was somber and threatening.

"His instruction will be at your discression," Kyoraku said, eyeing her. "Captain Unohana... No..." He corrected himself. "Yachiru Unohana. The first Kenpachi."

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki held the bamboo blade in a loose grip at arms length. Light glinted off of his shiny black hair and his deep eyes.

In front of him, Rukia assumed a similar stance. Her face was calm and her breathing soft.

Striking out, they engaged in a rapid flurry of sword swings. Wood clashed against wood; their feet sliding across the tatami mats.

Rukia backed off ever so slightly, prompting Byakuya to spiral his training sword around hers and flick it up into the air. The disarmed girl threw her hands up into the air, in surrender. The tip of Byakuya's sword was pressed against her chest.

"Do you yield?" he asked, slowly.

"I do, Nii-Sama," Rukia said, inhaling quickly.

Byakuya lowered his training blade and turned away. Rukia stooped to retrieve her own, and soon the two had resumed their stance.

When her older brother had asked her to train with him, Rukia had tried to hide her elation. It was the most that she could do to hide her smile while they practiced. The fact that he had decided to rely on her for training filled her with an incredible sense of pride.

"Rukia..." Byakuya suddenly said, tightening his stance. "Do you believe that my skills have dulled?"

The girl did a double-take, unsure over how to answer the question. Stammering, she attempted a reply. "I- I don't believe so, Nii-Sama. But why would you ask such a thing?"

Byakuya said nothing for several seconds, his face stiff. "In the battle the other day, the Sternritter I fought... There was something about him. It seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn't even touch him." His grip tightened on the hilt of the bamboo blade. "Have I really grown so weak?"

"Nii-Sama..."

"So I need you to help me, Rukia," he said. His expression softened. "If you will have me. And in return, I will do my utmost to aid you in getting stronger."

His arm stopped trembling, the wounds up his biceps stopping just short of bursting open. His grip was so tight, he had cracked the handle of the sword.

Rukia's voice caught in her throat. She was on the brink of tears, however somehow managed to fight them off. "Of course, Nii-Sama," she finally managed to say, lifting her sword. "Again?"

Byakuya took a step forwards and adjusted his stance. "Again."

* * *

Muuken.

The lowest level of the central underground prison of the Seireitei. A vast and expansive plane of barren earth, located hundreds upon hundreds of feet beneath the Squad One barracks.

A horrible environment reserved only for the very worst of criminals.

Kenpachi Zaraki walked through the entrance; the heavy steel doors slamming behind him, closing off the darkness. His eyepatch was already removed and his sword was slung over his shoulder, the chipped blade reflecting a deformed visage of his face. His mouth was twisted into a psychotic grin.

"Ha," he laughed, looking around himself. "What a showy battlefield. How'd you manage to swing this?"

"It was an order from the new Head Captain," replied his opponent, softly. "It wasn't that difficult." An eerily calm chuckle filled the air. "As the name indicates, this area is entirely closed off. It's almost infinitely vast and barren. It's a perfect field for you to freely swing your sword."

Yachiru Unohana turned towards Kenpachi. Her eyes were hooded and filled with sadistic malice.

"That is the only reason we were permitted to enter here," she continued. "Usually such a pleasure is only reserved for the most heinous of criminals."

"Criminals, huh...?" Kenpachi grunted, beginning to walk forwards. "Then we should feel right at home... 'Cause if it wasn't for our strength, we would be nothing more than that!"

"Of course," Unohana said, her voice soft and chilling. "That is why I was the one who suggested this place."

"That's what I figured," Kenpachi said, grinning. Removing his sword from his shoulder, he held it at arms length. He glanced around at the Muuken one final time. "I like it. I win and I'm a Captain; I lose and I'm a criminal. Either way... Fighting you is going to be like my own little piece of heaven and hell."

"You're awfully talkative today," Unohana replied, smiling sweetly. "I prefer it when you're quiet." Untying the braid that adorned the front of her body, the Captain of Division Four allowed her hair to swi freely, revealing a horrific stab wound in the centre of her chest. "Whenever you talk, it makes this old wound sting."

Kenpachi reached up and stroked the scar running down the left side of his face, grinning wildly. "Don't think that you're the only one with an old wound aching."

Both of them smiled and lunged at each other.

Their blades clashed in a blaze of sparks. Metal grated against metal as they ground their swords against one-another. Beneath their feet, rock cracked from the force of the strikes.

Kenpachi forced his own sword forwards. Unohana's feet tore deep trenches through the ground as she held her tight defence. The towering brute of a man continued his advance, almost running as he pushed her backwards.

Suddenly flicking her own sword to the side, Unohana ducked under Kenpachi's blade. Slashing out, metal bit through the battle-crazed man's side. Blood spattered to the floor.

Kenpachi attempted another downward swing. Unohana's left hand came up to meet the swipe, slapping the wrist of his sword arm away. Turning to the side, she swung her sword sideways, aiming at his throat.

He barely dodged. Crimson blood jetted through the air, tracing the arc of Unohaha's sword swing. He had been knicked along the edge of his neck. It wasn't a deep wound, but the location of the cut meant profuse bleeding was certain.

Kenpachi Zaraki was being beaten back. He hadn't so much as scratched the woman, and yet she continued to persistently exploit every opening he presented, no matter how small.

It was exactly the kind of battle he had always searched out. Always strived for.

And yet...

_Why?_

Kenpachi gritted his teeth and leapt back, narrowly avoiding another strike to his face.

Something seemed missing.

_Why is this...?_

He struck back and found his blade blocked. Unohana forced him back and slashed him up his left side.

Kenpachi felt like a piece of himself was missing. Something he'd misplaced long ago that he finally realised was gone. A strange ache filled his chest.

_Why is this not...?_

He knew that without that missing piece, he would never be able to find it. The real thing that he had been searching for all of these years. He would never be able to find something-

_Fun...?_

_**[Author's Note: Not an awful lot on the Sternritter in this chapter, for which I apologise. This was more a chapter to keep the story moving and set the stage for the upcoming second invasion.**_

_**I hope that everyone is enjoying it all so far. Do you have a favourite Sternritter? If so, please feel free to review.]**_


	17. Countdown from Five

**Chapter 17: 五, 四, 三, 二枚屋 王悦**

"Ninety one, ninety two, ninety three!"

Tenjirou Kirinji, the Demon of the Hot Springs, held Ichigo under the water by the hair. Bubble spewed from his mouth and foamed atop the steaming liquid. His eyes were opened wide in horror.

Flinging Tenjirou off of him, with all of his might, Ichigo leapt out of the water and gasped down lungful after lungful of air. His chest heaved up and down as he breathed, and his eyes were bulbous.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he screamed at the Royal Guard member. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"What do you mean?!" Tenjirou shouted back. "Even a kid could do this shit! Didn't anybody ever tell you you had to get into the bath and count to one hundred?!"

"With my head above the water! What sort of parent would tell their kid to do that underwater?! Are you trying to drown me, or something?!"

"You're boring me," Tenjirou muttered, turning away and waving his hand dismissively. "Kazuo, Kazuhiro, hold him down for me."

Ichigo blinked; his expression blank. "What are you-?"

Before Ichigo could finish, two huge men appeared behind him and grasped him. Restraining him, they forced him back underneath the water as Tenjirou resumed counting.

"One! Two! Three!"

* * *

"Ninety four, ninety five, ninety six, ninety seven, ninety eight..."

Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) was sweating profusely. His face was red and his grey hair clung to the moisture dripping from his scalp. The muscles of his arms swelled and began to tremble.

Gritting his teeth, he continued with his rapid session of push-ups. Deep grey eyes were pinpointed as he focused on a point ahead of him.

Sylvanus always made a point of keeping his body in shape. Disciplined was an understatement. The amount of time he spent training was borderline insanity.

It helped keep him focused. It gave him something to concentrate on, and take his mind off of all of his worries.

He could only stand the company of his fellows for so long. Jamina may have been good conversation, and he had a lot of respect for her; but he generally needed space. More still, time to collect his thoughts.

Zeit had returned, and His Majesty was up to something. Sylvanus had the sinking feeling that the second invasion would not be like anything the Sternritter expected. He felt uneasy.

Attempting to banish the thoughts from his mind, Sylvanus continued on with his exercise regime. "One hundred thirteen, one hundred fourteen, one hundred fifteen..." Not once did he break pace.

Still, however, the thoughts continued to fill his head. He didn't trust Yhwach.

Not that he would ever say it. To speak out against His Majesty was something punishable by death.

_Shit, even doing what he says will get you killed, if you outlive your usefulness..._ he thought, gritting his teeth even tighter.

"One hundred thirty six, one hundred thirty seven..."

Over and over he pushed himself up from the floor. After he reached one hundred and fifty, he began to push harder, causing his hands to leave the floor. In between every push-up, he clapped his hands.

The sweat began to pour from his pores, leaving rivulets of moisture running down his toned and muscular body. His breathing grew ragged.

"One hundred seventy six, one hundred seventy seven, one hundred seventy eight..."

* * *

Ichigo continued to fight against the restraints of Kazuo and Kazuhiro. Water sloshed around his flailing limbs and splashed through the air.

"That's enough!" Tenjirou called out, as the two men released the struggling boy. Wading through the water of the hot spring, liquid lapped at the loincloth that he wore.

Ichigo rose from the bath, steam billowing from his bandaged body. His breathing was fast and his eyes bore into the pompadoured man. "What do you think you're-?"

Tenjirou struck out so fast that he momentarily disappeared. Punching Ichigo in the centre of his chest, he sent the Substitute Soul Reaper flying; skipping across the water like a stone. Slamming into a distant rock, stone crumbled around his body and fell upon him.

Flinging the rubble off of his body, Ichigo began to rage at the Zero Division member. "Why did you hit me, you idiot?!"

"You're healed," Tenjirou said, ignoring him. Throwing down some of Ichigo's soaking bandages, he pointed at Ichigo's chest. "If you weren't healed, my punch would have killed you."

Ichigo looked down at his chest, the torn bandages leaving it exposed. There wasn't so much as a scratch on him. Hurriedly unwrapping the bandage around his severed wrist, he noted that the wound had completely closed up. More than that, it ws smooth, as if he had been born with it.

"You're done here," Tenjirou continued. "We can skip the formalities and you can make your way to the next Castle."

Ichigo paused for a second, in confusion. However, before he was able to ask what the man had meant by the "next Castle", he was cut off by a brash voice shouting over at them.

"Hey! Don't think you can leave me behind!"

Renji stood in the middle of a hot spring next to the one in which Ichigo and Tenjirou had previously occupied. The entire top half of his body had been bandaged, leaving only his hands and face exposed. His crimson hair clung to his soaking body and bandages.

"Renji? But you're still wounded!" Ichigo called back to him.

Before Renji could respond to Ichigo, Tenjirou vanished. Appearing in front of the Lieutenant, he punched him in the gut. Water flew into the air and cascaded down in a great wave.

Tenjirou opened his eyes wide in surprise. Renji still stood in front of him, grinning.

"How 'bout that," he chuckled. "I wasn't even sent flying."

Glancing down, Tenjirou noted Renji's fist trembling. He appeared as if he was going to protest to him leaving.

"Fine," he sighed. "If you can withstand my punch I'm not in a position to stop you." He began to walk towards the edge of the hot springs and beckoned them to follow him. "Come with me, I'll get you on your way to Kirio's place."

"So how are we going to get there?" Ichigo asked, stopping just behind where Tenjirou had. As they walked, he and Renji pulled on their discarded Shihakushos.

Kazuo and Kazuhiro swung a pair of giant mallets down onto a pressure switch. Flung through the air, Ichigo and Renji were launched from a pair of hidden platforms.

"Is this the only way you get around, here?!" Ichigo screamed as he tumbled through the sky, before disappearing into a spec.

Turning back towards the springs, Tenjirou knelt down and dipped his right hand into the steaming water. "Kazuo, Kazuhiro... You can take off you're wet clothes now."

The two hulking men let out identical sighs of relief. Discarding their clothes, they were revealed to be sporting painful-looking growths and burns across almost the entirety of their bodies.

"Thank God for that..." Kazuo muttered, pushing up his glasses. "Any longer and the wounds would be permanent."

Kazuhiro hummed in response. "To think that those two were able to stay submerged in the water for so long... And without protective clothing at that."

"Yeah, they really are something..." Tenjirou said, examining his hand under the water. "Especially Ichigo Kurosaki." He squinted his eyes as he noticed the appendage beginning to turn red and swell. "I was always known as Flash-Speed Tenjirou, because of how fast I was... Yet in the instant I hit him, he struck back with his severed wrist. He managed to break every bone in my hand."

Kazuo took a deep breath in surprise.

"I can see why the Soul King is so interested in him..."

* * *

Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) was lounging on the bed, located in the corner of his living quarters. Discarded to the table beside the bed, his skull mask stared back at him, through empty sockets.

His forearm was laying over his face, shrouding his eyes and forehead in shadow. Spreading out from the back of his head, across the pillow, his long black hair reflected the light in a white glare.

Hanging from his forearm, his Quincy cross swung through the air.

Eric was thinking about his mother. About how she used to teach him how to play chess. Oddly enough, he remembered her long and slender fingers. How her milky skin would gently grip the wooden pieces.

_Now the knight can move three places. Two in a straight line and then one to either side. Do you want to count them with me, Eric? One, two, and three..._

He remembered the way she used to smile, every time he got it right.

* * *

"What are you trying to pull?!"

"What does it look like?! Get you on the bottom! I don't want to land first and hurt myself!"

"Too bad! I was injured worst, you should be on the bottom and take the hit!"

Ichigo and Renji, in their arguing, failed to notice the fast-approaching platform beneath them. While in the process of switchi falling positions, they both collided with the stone structure together; side by side.

Crumpled in a heap, the pair let out similarly pained whimpers. "Owwww..."

Unsteadily rising to their feet, they touched their bruised bodies gingerly. They were trembling. After falling from such a great height, any normal person would have been killed. It was lucky that they were so sturdy.

They hadn't even stood up straight when they were suddenly scooped up into a crushing embrace. All air was squeezed out of their lungs.

"Welcome to the Gaton Palace!" Kirio Hikifune cried, swinging them around. "Ichigo-chan! Renji-chan!" Her rotund cheeks were swelling as she smiled; the spiral markings on them distorting. Dropping the boys to the floor, she placed her hands on her hips and beamed down at them. "Please follow me to the dining hall!"

Looking up at the purple-haired woman, Ichigo and Renji stopped short, right as they were about to shout. Their mouth's began to water and their stomachs growled. "F... Food?" they asked, simultaneously.

"Of course!" she cried, scooping them up again and practically dragging them towards a large building ahead of them.

Slapping them down at the head of a long table, she set down their chopsticks and hurried off into another room. Furious and frantic sounds of cooking blared from the room and filled Ichigo and Renji's ears.

Before long the table was filled with mountains of food. Piles of rice rose up from plates; enormous bowls were filled to the brim with ramen and miso soup alike. Barbecue platters sizzled and great towers of meat reached up towards the ceiling.

Calling out from the kitchen, Kirio's voice held a musical tone to it. "Gaton Palace is the kingdom of food! It is my job to feed you and your job to fill our bellies! So enjoy! Eat all you like; and I shall cook all you want!"

The duo didn't need to be told twice. Diving upon the dishes, they began to wolf down plateful after plateful of food. Rice was shovelled into their mouths, meat was torn from the bone and noodles were slurped down into their stomachs whole.

"This is so good!" Ichigo shouted, his mouth still full of food. "My chopsticks won't stop!" Due to not being able to lift the bowls because of his missing hand, Ichigo was a sight to behold. He had hooked his severed arm around the backs of the bowls and placed his chin onto the table, tipping the contents of them into his mouth.

"So delectable, so soft!" Renji shouted. "It melts in the mouth! This is truly the most palatable food in the universe!"

Ichigo glanced over at his friend and pulled a disgusted face over his bowl of rice. "Quit it with the fake food review; we all know you have no idea what you're talking about..."

Once the table was cleared, Ichigo put down his chopsticks.

Renji glanced over at him and lifted one tattooed on eyebrow. "What, you're finished already? I can keep eating." He spoke as if he were gloating.

"Of course I can keep eating," Ichigo retorted. "But there's no more food to eat, you idiot."

While they waited for Kirio to bring more food out, Ichigo stared off into space. His eyes began to glaze over. He ran his hand over the smooth skin of his left wrist.

"Is it... really okay for us to be doing this?" he suddenly asked, flicking his brown eyes over to look at Renji. "Down in the Seireitei, everyone is trying to rebuild... They're training and preparing and getting stronger. But... We're relaxing; taking baths and eating food..." He gritted his teeth and knitted his brows together. "Are we really going to be getting stronger, by doing this?"

Renji pulled a blank expression. "What, are you stupid or something?"

"What did you say to me?!" Ichigo leapt up and grabbed Renji around the scruff of the neck.

Renji removed Ichigo's hand from him. "When you're wounded you take a bath to heal. And when you're healing, you need to eat to keep your strength up." His eyes narrowed. "It's natural. If you jump straight into training without doing any of this, you're just going to hurt yourself. In order to train hard, you need to be in perfect shape; otherwise what's the point?"

Ichigo blinked. He broke into a slight smile. "You know..." Glancing sidelong at his friend, he patten him on the shoulder. "You actually say some pretty smart things sometimes."

At first, Renji took what Ichigo had said as a compliment. However, he soon realised the implication that he was usually less than intelligent.

"Hey, what are you trying to-?!"

He was cut off as Kirio bowled back into the room. Her arms were laden with trays and bowls and her purple hair had been let down, bunching around her shoulders.

Ichigo and Renji almost fell off of their chairs in surprise. It wasn't due her sudden appearance, however, but rather her appearance.

Previously, she had been so fat and round that her body had a radius. Now, however, she was slim. Her waist pinched in beneath her large breasts and he hips flared out softly, giving her an hourglass figure. Her face, no longer distorted by flab, was trim with his cheekbones and full lips.

Renji felt the beginnings of a nosebleed.

"You've actually completely understood the theory, Renji-chan!" she beamed, laying the food down on the table before picking Renji up and crushing him into her breast. He broke into a slightly bemused look. "We're doing exactly what you would normally do during training, but on a much grander scale." She dropped the red-haired young man to the floor. "All so that you won't die during your time at the next Castle. Now please: Eat as much as you want!"

Ichigo ignored the food, instead choosing to throw a fit. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Oh, I see I forgot to tell you," Kirio chuckled, holding her hand up in front of her mouth. "When I cook, I use up all of my body's energy. So I need to put on as much weight as possible before, or else I could die!"

Sat in a state of stupor, Ichigo attempted to wrap his head around it all.

"Now eat," she beamed, her eyes brimming with pride. "I put everything into preparing this meal. It's my pride and joy! This food holds the very essence of why I became a member of the Royal Guard!"

"And what is that?" Renji asked, unsteadily claiming back into his chair and attempting to look casual. Blood was still dripping from his nose, and he was blushing.

"The artificial soul," Kirio replied, smiling broadly. "In the Royal Guard, each of us were appointed to the Division because we created something of great importance to the history if the Soul Society. My invention was the artificial soul, and from it birthed the gikongan, and the kaizokonpaku." He picked up a bread roll and turned it over in her hands. "They work through the essence of inserting foreign souls into others. I've done the same with this food; inserted foreign Reiatsu into them to give you the boost that you need." She continued to smile. "If you take the time to notice, you'll realise you're made up of entirely different Reiatsu to what you had before."

Ichigo and Renji suddenly noticed the change within themselves. They could feel power welling up inside their bodies.

"You're going to need it, for when you arrive at the next Castle..." Kirio suddenly said, somber. "Even I'm not sure what he's going to do... Ohetsu Nimaya of the Houou Palace... The man who created the Zanpakuto."

* * *

Aya Herz (Sternritter S) walked through the snow that blanketed the ground. Beneath the steel heels of her shoes, the snow crunched. All around her body, a storm blew through the street.

Above her head, an umbrella was held. Knight followed behind the young girl, shielding her from the weather.

His voice echoed from his white helmet. Behind him, the plume that adorned the top of it billowed in the wind. "My lady. Whither away so hurriedly? His Majesty doesn't wish us to gather for another hour."

"I want to get there early," Aya said, pushing her glossy black hair behind her ear. "To get a good spot... That way I won't be stuck next to Onmar."

"I implore you, My Lady," Knight said. "Do not speak so ill of Master Gunther. It does not befit a lady such as yourself."

"You're always making sure I'm ladylike," Aya said, smiled. "You're so chivalrous."

"Well, what is a knight, if not chivalrous?" he asked, a proud tone to his voice.

They continued to walk in silence for several minutes. All around them, the snow continued to flutter to the floor.

"What do you think His Majesty wants?" Aya asked her escort, looking up at him and pulling a perplexed expression.

"I do not think it's wise to speculate," Knight replied. "We shall find out in due course. I believe His Majesty must have a good reason to call us all to assemble."

"I hate not knowing what's going on." The young girl began to pout and folded her arms across her chest.

"My dear Miss Herz," the towering man said. "You must calm yourself. Its unbecoming to get angry over such a trivial matter. Here's a trick... Count backwards from five."

* * *

Ichigo and Renji were, again, falling through the sky. Tumbling and fighting with each other, they had been screaming ever since they had been launched from Kirio's dining hall.

They landed with a crash, however they remained in better condition than they had done before. Rising to their feet, they stared around the wooden platform on which they had arrived.

There was no-one in sight.

"Where is everyone?" Ichigo asked, looking around himself.

"Not a clue," Renji muttered in response. "Maybe everyone is inside the castle..."

**"Yo! Yo! Yo! Yo!"** suddenly blared a voice, enthusiastically, from some kind of sound system.** "Welcome, welcome, one and all! Welcome to the Houou-den! The magnificent abode ooooooof~! Go, Shi, San, Ni-maya! Ohetsu!"**


	18. Bite the Blade

**Chapter 18: Bite the Blade**

**"Go, Shi, San, Ni-maya Ohetsu is in the houuuuse~!"**

Floodlights flashed on, momentarily blinding Ichigo and Renji. Music began to blare from numerous speakers. Fireworks shot into the air and exploded into sparks of rainbow colours. Smoke poured from generators and flooded the area.

Rising from a mechanical platform, was a man. His skin was tanned and his head was adorned with a black afro. The sides of his scalp were shaved short and dyed green. Perched on his face were a pair of blue and gold sunglasses. In his hand he held a microphone.

**"I am number one Zanpakuto creator! Is so coooool! Sonofabitch!"** He spoke in English, and his accent was terrible.

Ichigo's face once more fell into the expression of complete and utter dismay that it had become so used to, during his time in the Royal Palace. Beside him, Renji pulled a similar expression.

The man continued to fling himself around ostentatiously, and shout in English. **"Nice! To! Meet you!"** He held two fingers up to his lips and blew a kiss. **"Zanpakuto!"** He winked. **"Love it!"**

* * *

Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) was stood in the corner of the meeting hall. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed.

During his time in the Silbern, Joseph had developed a very odd habit of falling asleep in strange locations. They had ranged from leaning against walls, to benches and even on street corners. Rare was the day when one of the Soldat actually found him inside of his own living quarters.

A group of his fellows had been watching him sleep in his current position for quite some time.

"I don't know how he does it," Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) muttered, almost to herself, as she watched him. Her young features pulled a perplexed expression; her bright pink eyes half-closed.

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) sat on the steps beside her and lifted his top lip in disgust. "I can't even sleep in my room because of the cold, and he can just drop off anywhere he wants. It's not fair."

"Maybe it's a form of narcolepsy, or something?" Jamina theorised, still not taking her eyes off of Joseph.

"Who cares?" Onmar muttered, turning away and folding him arms.

"Oh stop complaining," Jamina laughed. "Tomoko made it so you can't get cold anymore, and I even gave you an injection to keep you warm. You have nothing to complain about."

"I can complain about whatever I want," Onmar retorted.

"You keep that up, you're not going to have any friends left," she teased, pinching his cheek.

"Good," he said, bluntly. He ignored her fingers gripping his cheek. "I didn't want friends in the first place."

"You're lying," Jamina replied, releasing him. The skin of his cheek began to turn red where she had gripped him. "You act like you don't like us, but you'll miss us if we were gone."

"Well, some of you..." he muttered in reply, readjusting his folded arms.

"Okay, then how about this," Jamina said, placing her hands on her hips. "Why don't you talk it through? Actually talk to the ones you have the most problems with and actually deal with it."

"Not going to happen."

"Come on, don't be like that."

"No, I mean it literally won't happen," Onmar persisted. "The one who I have the most problems with is never here. Besides, it's not as if I could solve my issues with him by talking it out."

Jamina lowered her eyebrows over her bright red eyes. "You mean, Kirmie...?"

"Yeah." Onmar's lime green eyes narrowed discerningly. "I don't hate him because of a disagreement. It's a matter of nature. I hate everything that he stands for..." He eyed an ant, crawling across the floor. "Plus... He's disgusting. Vile. I can't change the fact that I can't stand looking at him."

"What does he look like?" Jamina asked, intrigued. The mysteries surrounding Kirmie had always intrigued her; however not to such a degree that she would go out of her way to find out more. "You're one of the few Sternritter that have actually seen him in person."

"Ask Joseph," Onmar grunted, nodding at the man asleep in the corner. "He's seen him as well." He broke into a slight grin. "Unless you're too scared to talk to him."

Jamina blushed and pursed her lips, defiantly. "I'm not afraid of him."

"Everyone else seems to be..." he said, returning his attention to Joseph. "Before the last invasion, I was talking to Ferdinand and Legion about him... Even they seemed wary of him."

"Maybe he's just misunderstood..." replied Jamina, sighing. "It must be lonely."

Watching the man napping off to the side for several seconds, Jamina appeared to make up her mind. Setting off down the stairs on which he stood, to talk to Jospeh, she waved back to her comrade.

"I'll be back soon," she smiled. "I'm going to talk to him."

Onmar tucked in his bottom lip. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, his features softened. For a brief instant, he appeared to care for his comrade. "Be careful."

Jamina chuckled and turned back at him, walking down the stairs backwards. "Don't worry about me!" She lifted her arm and jokingly flexed her bicep. "I'm always caref-"

The pink-haired girl slipped and fell down the stairs, backwards. She let out a comical shriek and collapsed into a heap on the floor. Gingerly rising to her feet, she touched her back and felt the bruise.

"I'm okay!" she cried out, cheerfully, waving up at Onmar.

Onmar only sighed and smirked to himself.

Jamina slowly walked towards Joseph and dusted herself off. Strangely enough, she found herself quite nervous. She had never spoken to him before and, as such, did not know what to expect. Whenever he had arisen as a topic of conversation within her fellows, everyone often referred to him as a sadist. Jamina loved to fight, but that word implied fundamental difference between them. It suggested that he enjoyed watching pain and suffering.

_Do I really want to talk to a person like that...?_

Soon, however, she was too close to turn back.

Sleeping as he was, Joseph looked strangely peaceful. His tussled black hair hung down over his face and his glasses had slipped down his nose.

Reaching out to touch him, Jamina just about stopped herself; instead deciding simply to try and awaken him through words. "Um, Mr Fehler?"

Joseph shifted and sleepily opened one emerald green eye. Through his half-rim glasses, he scanned Jamina groggily. Unfolding his arms he stood up straight and yawned briefly. "Good morning- um..." He stopped short when he realised that he didn't know the girl's name.

"Oh! Jamina!" she said, catching the hint.

"Pleased to meet you," Joseph said, reaching out and gently taking her hand. His grip was firm, but soft. "I'm sorry, I wasn't familiar. I'm not used to many of the others talking to me." He released her hand and leaned in, raising one hand to the side of his face. "Between me and you, I think that people are avoiding me."

He was not what Jamina had expected him to be like. He was pleasant, and his charm was slightly disarming.

"So, how can I help you, Jamina?"

"Um... I was just wondering..." She blushed, suddenly realising how silly her reason for talking to him was. "Dont you ever get lonely? I mean... Not many people talk to you."

Joseph chuckled. "That's sweet of you." He patted her on the head, however suddenly caught himself and stopped. "I'm sorry, that was rude to do that."

"No, it's okay," Jamina said, smiling. He put her at ease through his mannerisms and soft tone.

"But, to answer your question..." Joseph said. "I think people avoid me because they're afraid of me."

Jamina lowered her brows in a sympathetic expression.

"I'm a member of the elites, not to mention my ability is very dangerous," he explained. "And it doesn't help that I don't kill my opponents. It doesn't do much for my image; it makes the others think I'm a sadist."

"What...?" Jamina asked, confused.

"By your reaction, I can see you've heard that as well." The man broke into a grin. "But don't worry... I'm not actually like that. That's just something people say... Idle gossip and all that."

"Then... Why don't you kill your enemies? I've heard that you cripple them and drag out your fights."

"That's true," Joseph said, in a matter-of-fact manner. "I don't fight to kill... But I don't intentionally cripple. I like watching how people deal with my abilities, so I drag out fights for longer than I should."

Jamina lifted one eyebrow. She had never heard anything like that before.

_Joseph Fehler... Is a strange man..._

* * *

The bright neon sign threw coloured light down upon the ground. Flashing lights around it banished shadows at periodic intervals.

"Welcome to the Phoenix Palace!"

A harem of girls so huge that it defied reason welcomed the trio of men. Blondes, brunettes, red-heads and girls with black hair all fell upon them. Busts of all sizes were shoved into their faces.

"Kyaaah! You must be Renji-Kun!"

"Oh my, you're so attractive!"

"Which one is Ichigo-Kun, again?"

Renji felt himself begin to tear up. Ichigo recoiled; his shyness around scantily-clad women showing through.

"So, how'd ya' like it here?" Ohetsu Nimaya asked, turning towards the two young men. "Ya'll appreciating the welcome I've prepared for ya' here at the Houou-den?"

He raised his hand into the air for a high-five. When Ichigo failed to respond, choosing instead to stare at him blankly, Nimaya grasped his remaining hand and engaged in a furious series of slaps and fist-bumps with it.

Ichigo stepped back and whispered to Renji. "Youve got to switch with me. I can't handle all this; he's too crazy."

"Do you not like it?" Nimaya asked, tilting his head to the side. "If not... I can just send you home?"

Ichigo and Renji suddenly locked up. Kirio had warned them that Nimaya was unpredictable, but threatening to throw the, from the Royal Palace already was ridiculous.

The pair suddenly bowed, apologising simultaneously. "Thank you for inviting us here!"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Nimaya shouted, wagging his finger at them. "You're not doing it properly! The style of the Houou-den is..." He leaned down on his forearms and swung his legs up into the air, in a kind of quasi-handstand. "This! And then you say: Thank you, Master Nimaya!"

Ichigo and Renji, again, looked completely dumbfounded. Ichigo recoiled and hissed to his comrade: "No way I'm doing that...!"

"Do you want to be sent home?" Renji whispered back. "Suck it up and do it, or you may never get your Zanpakuto fixed."

Ichigo took a deep breath.

The pair both assumed the same ridiculous pose. "Thank you, Master Nimaya!"

Ohetsu Nimaya pulled out a camera and snapped a picture of the duo. "Nice! I didn't think you would actually do that!" He whirled around to the congregation of girls. "Look at this, my honey-chan's!"

"Haha so cuuuute!"

"That's so lol!"

Another of them squealed in delight.

The two Shinigami's moods darkened. Ichigo grabbed Nimaya by the collar of the puffy white coat that he wore. "What do you think you're playing at?!"

As Nimaya was about to reply, he was kicked in the back and sent flying through the air. Behind where the Royal Guard member had previously stood was a short young woman with spiky hair.

"How long do you plan on keeping this up?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and admonishing Nimaya.

"Come ooooon Mera-chaaaan!" Nimaya whined, lifting himself from the floor and rubbing his head. "This is the first time I've been able to have fun in ages!"

Ignoring his protests, the girl walked forwards and grasped Ichigo and Renji by the backs of their shihakusho. Dragging them from the harem, she groaned under her breath. "With you handling things, we'll never get anything done. I'll show you two the real Houou-den..."

Before long, they had left the glowing ball of neon behind. Where they now found themselves was a bare and barren cliff; a single shack standing solitary on it's edge. Above the shack was a sign that read "Houou-den".

Ichigo threw a glance at Nimaya, who had been following them dejectedly. "That's just depressing."

"Ya'll don't have to rub it in..." Nimaya pouted, pretending to weep behind his sunglasses and shielding his face with his forearm. "That's why I act all flash. To cover the fact that this is my real Castle."

Mera nodded towards the door and placed her hands on her hips. "Go ahead... Step inside the real Phoenix Palace."

Hesitantly stepping forwards, with Renji at his side, Ichigo stepped through the door into the darkness within the shack. His foremost foot found nothing beneath it. Tumbling through the empty air, the pair landed in a basement beneath the Castle.

"What the hell?!" Ichigo shouted up, anger venting towards Nimaya and Mera.

Nimaya ignored them. "Ichigo-chan, Renji-chan... Why is it that ya'll haven't noticed? Till now, ya' haven't met a single Shinigami, 'sides myself?" He broke into a wide grin. "Those honey-chans back there... Were Zanpakuto."

"Those were... Zanpakutos..." Ichigo gasped.

"Ya'll call ya'self Soul Reapers, but ya' can't even tell the difference between them and Zanpakuto?" He reached behind himself and grasped the hilts of two blades. Lifting them into the light, he was revealed to be holding Renji's Zabimaru and Ichigo's shattered Bankai. "Ya' got not love for them man! So if ya' don't love them... S'okay if I do this, right?"

Without a second thought, the Royal Guard member smashed the two broken blades together, shattering them even more. Ichigo and Renji's eyes snapped open wide and they cried out in horror and dismay.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Are you insane?!"

"Tut'a'tut'a'tut!" Nimaya tutted musically. "Zanpakuto that ain't loved sure break easy... If ya' survive down there, I may reforge ya' swords... But my Zanpakuto ain't for weaklings. And down there, the wrath of the Zanpakuto are all around ya'." He winked and blew a kiss down at the pair. "Have fuuuuuun~!"


	19. The Battle

**Chapter 19: The Battle**

Yachiru Kusajishi (Lieutenant of Squad Eleven) walked into her living quarters slowly. Resting on a cushion, in the middle of the room, was an eyepatch. The one that Kenpachi had always worn.

Sitting cross-legged in front of the cushion, her pink eyes lingered on it.

She was not acting like her usually carefree and cheerful self. There was something somber about the look in her eyes.

Reaching out and touching the leather patch, she closed her eyes.

"Kenny..."

* * *

Kenpachi Zaraki lunged forwards and took a swing with his chipped and rusted sword. The strike was blocked as Unohana raised her own blade and swatted it aside, before gashing him up the torso.

They had long since forgotten how long they had been fighting. Hours; days; weeks? They couldn't even remember. All that mattered was survival.

As Kenpachi fell backwards, he swung his blade up at the woman. Feeling an unusual pressure on his wrist, he realised that she was forcing his sword arm back down, by stepping on it.

Before she could complete her downward stroke at his head, however, Kenpachi managed to kick her in the gut. She was sent flying, long black hair whipping around her. Turning herself in midair, she landed feet first against a nearby boulder and launched herself back at Kenpachi.

Their blades clashed in a flurry of sparks.

"I commend you for having the good sense to remove your eyepatch before we began," Unohana said, pushing against his blade with her own. "But that also means... That I can see the extent of your power."

Removing her left hand from her sword, she pulled out a short blade and stabbed him above his right collarbone.

Kenpachi retreated.

"Pathetic..." Unohana whispered, half to herself. "You use one hand on the hilt of your sword, yet the other sits idly? Can you really enjoy fighting like that?"

"You're calling me pathetic?" he retorted, reaching up and dislodging the blade from his flesh. "You're the one resorting to underhanded tactics to win." He gritted his teeth. "You're nothing like the person I admired so long ago!"

The response touched a nerve with Unohana. Her face ticked. "One does not admit to admiring an enemy! Especially in the middle of a fight to the death!"

She lurched forwards at high speed. It was so fast that Kenpachi didn't even have time to react. His sword was knocked from his hand and landed on the ground.

He backed up, attempting to gain distance, and instead found a boulder at his back. The tip of the woman's sword was pressed against his neck.

"I haven't changed," Unohana said, twisting the blade. "It's just that the first time me fought... You were so strong that I didn't have time to use any tactics on you."

"So... You're saying that... I've gotten weaker...?"

Unohana said nothing; her face unmoving.

Kenpachi's bottom lip began to tremble. "I worshipped you... Trees, insects, people, no matter what I cut it was all the same. It was like I was alone in the dark... But fighting you... It was the first time I'd ever felt fear... Felt excitement... Felt anything at all. It was the first time I had ever enjoyed a fight. From that moment, I wanted to fight, just as you had." His eyes grew red and before he knew it, tears were dripping down his bloodied cheeks. "But now here I am... About to die a miserable death, without even having scratched you."

The sword pierced his throat with so much force it threw his head back. The top of the blade emerged from the back of his neck. Blood slipped from his lips.

Kenpachi could feel his own heartbeat slow.

Darkness took him.

He felt a sword in his hands, grinding against metal. He instinctively pushed back, and opened his eyes. In front of him, Unohana leapt backwards.

"Something the matter?" she asked; emotionless. "You appear to have lost consciousness for a moment."

Kenpachi blinked and felt for his throat. There was no stab wound, not blood.

_What was that, just now...?_

He leapt forwards and swung his sword at Unohana.

_No..._

She clashed blades with him, and the pair engaged in a flurry of strokes. Over and over metal met metal and sparks shot through the air.

_This isn't the time to be using my brain!_

He flicked his arm out to the side, causing her sword to be deflected wide. Kicking out, he planted his foot in her gut and flung Unohana through the air.

_This is the time for instinct!_

* * *

Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) pushed his hand back through his long white hair and sniffed the air. The slit pupils of his bright silver eyes narrowed.

He could smell unease.

Nervous sweat clung to almost everyone gathered in the meeting hall. The only members of the Sternritter gathered who weren't sweating were Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M), who maintained an air of polite restraint; Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O), holding his usual calm demeanour; Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) who, like always, was almost robotic; and of course Asuma himself. Knight, hidden behind his helm, remained a mystery.

Even Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C), arrogant as she was, held an air of unease.

Not a single member of the congregation had an inkling as to what it was the Yhwach wanted from them. All they knew was that they had been ordered to gather.

The reason for the meeting meant nothing to Asuma. His loyalty to His Majesty was all that mattered to him. If it was an order, he would be sure to follow it to his last breath.

His tongue ran over his pronounced canine, and his hands found his pockets.

The gathered Sternritter shifted nervously and continued to wait.

* * *

Ichigo leapt to the side and avoided an attack from an unseen enemy. Diving through the darkness, he shouted up at Nimaya. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Ya' shouldn't be scared of them..." Nimaya chuckled. "Ya' should know them very well. They're the strongest Zanpakuto, with unlimited potential."

One of the shapeless masses moved into the light. It was a featureless white creature; moving fluidly.

"They're Asauchi..."

Leaping from the depths of shadow, the formless figures fell upon Ichigo and Renji. Desperately fighting them off, they didn't even register Nimaya talking above them.

"The entire Gotei Thirteen, over six thousand members, are all given one of my Asauchi. They keep them with them at all times and project their essence into them, ya dig? By doing that they make their own Zanpakuto. I make all the Asauchi. That's why I'm the Sword God, yo!"

"Why are we being attacked by these things?!" Ichigo shouted desperately dodging.

"Why?" Nimaya laughed, pointing down at the orange-haired substitute Soul Reaper. "Cos they're angry with ya'!"

"Why are they angry with me?!"

Nimaya held his finger up in front of his face. "Cos of the way ya' use your Zanpakuto." He threw his arms up in the air. "Wrong! The way you hold it, the way you fight with it, the way you swing it! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! The basis is wrong!" He grasped his hair in mock distress. "You're using it as a tool? A subordinate; a buddy? Family, friend, senior, junior, pet, acquaintance, lover, a loved one?" He threw his hands up in the air once again. "Stop fucking around!"

Ichigo struggled to pay attention to him, as he avoided the attacks of the Asauchi. As he did so, however, he noticed a curious thing. Every single one of them, without exception, was crying.

"Now lets start this off with something fun..." Nimaya said, grinning. "Which one is on top? The Shinigami or the Zanpakuto?"

* * *

_Again...?_

Kenpachi rolled across the floor, tearing the skin off of the back of his arm. Righting himself, he raised his head and his sword in one simultaneous motion.

_I lost consciousness again? How many times has it been now?_

He slashed out at Unohana, prompting her to back off.

_Again and again. I pass out in the middle of battle, and when I come to I'm back swinging my sword..._

Unohana charged him. Steel grated together as she flicked her wrist out and knicked Kenpachi across the arm. His reaction time was getting progressively faster.

_It's nostalgic... I love fighting, but I've never been so into it that I've passed out..._

He stared into Unohana's eyes as they clashed. A subtle smile plucked the corner of his lips.

_Not since the first time I fought you._

Kenpachi tilted his blade sideways, sending Unohana's sword wide once again. Reversing his swing, he cut her across the arm. Red blood soaked into her white Captain's Haori.

_I got her! Before I was reacting to what I could see... But now I'm reacting reflexively._

Unohana stepped back as a smile of relief washed over her face. Her eyes softened; a strange light to them.

_Every time I black out, it's like I'm reborn!_

Unohana thought back to the first time she had met the nameless boy who would become Kenpachi Zaraki.

Until that point, she had never found anyone that was truly her equal. Someone who could truly challenge her. She imagined that boy had felt the same.

The euphoria she had felt in that fight was like nothing she could have ever imagined. To finally find an equal among the fodder that surrounded her.

And yet... She had felt shame. Because, in spite of finding a worthy opponent, he had shackled his true power.

Unohana had been strong. But that boy had been stronger.

Over time, she had seen him grow stronger. Every time he was pushed to the brink of defeat, he would regain that which he had lost. A fraction of his true unfathomable power.

_That is why I shall slay you hundreds- no, thousands of times over. That I why I shall keep on reviving you; healing you from the brink of death. Until you return to your true self._

As she thought, she continued to carve away at Kenpachi Zaraki. Every time she saw him slip into the sweet embrace of death. She would heal him. And every time, she healed him, he would come back more powerful than before.

Kenpachi Zaraki broke into a wide grin as he continued to charge Unohana.

He felt like his flesh was peeling off. Like the bare bones of his being were coming to the surface. Like he was finally transforming into what he had always been. A true demon of the sword.

Kenpachi laughed; lunacy dripping from his voice.

_Melting... It's all melting away! I feel so alive!_

He continued to strike at the woman in front of him. For every attack he took, he dealt out one of equal power.

_I finally feel like I've awoken from my eternal slumber..._

Kenpachi cut Unohana across the hip.

_Thanks to you, I finally understand... You've finally opened my eyes..._

They locked blades once more before forcing each other back. Feet dragged across the ground, whipping up clouds of dust.

_You are everything I've always wanted! You are what I've been searching for this entire time!_

Unohana continued to smile as she was cut to ribbons. Blood flew through the air. She no longer knew how to distinguish between her own and his any more.

She was engulfed in blissful ecstasy.

_Isn't it funny... she thought. You purposely sealed your power away, so that you could fight to your hearts content... While I learned how to heal my enemies so that I could do the same. We really are... Perfect for one-another._

She loosened her grip on the hilt of her sword.

_But... It makes me sad... I realise now what must happen. During a fight between two behemoths, only two things can... One nurtures the other, causing them to grow... While the other consumes the first._

Kenpachi lunged at her one final time.

Unohana's lips broke into a soft smile. She moved her sword out of the way a fraction of an inch.

_You were..._

Kenpachi's blade ran her through. Emerging from her back, the entire length of the steel was covered in deep crimson blood. It shimmered in the light; dancing.

Releasing her sword, Unohana reached up with her hands and cupped Kenpachi's face.

"You were the only man who could ever make me happy..." Leaning up, she planted a gentle kiss onto him, with blood-smeared lips. "Now... We finally... Have closure..."

Without another word, Unohana's arms fell. They hung limply by her sides. Lifeless.

Kenpachi pulled his blade from her chest and cradled her limp form in one arm. He dropped his sword and reached up with his free hand to touch his lips.

"Closure..." he whispered, trembling. "No... Please..." Tears formed in his eyes. "I'm begging you, no... I'm begging you!" He held her tightly, shaking like a leaf caught in the breeze. "Don't die..."

As he shook and shivered, the tears in his eyes mingled with the blood that soaked his face, thinning it. The long scar than ran down his cheek came into view.

"Don't die!" he roared, tightening his grip on Unohana's body.

Roused from death for a brief second, Unohana opened one eye a crack. Pride flooded her body.

_You need not mourn me... she thought. You now have many people you can call your equals... Friends to bicker with... Enemies to clash blades with... My only regret is not being able to see it._

She closed her eyes and let out one final sigh.

_And most importantly... I have found a blissful joy in death... Finally fulfilling what I had set in motion all those years ago... And that it was by your hand._

Kenpachi began to weep. He gritted his teeth and tensed every muscle in his body in an attempt to fight it back, but to no avail.

However, through his despair, there came a voice.

A voice calling his name.

**"Kenpachi Zaraki..."**

Turning his head, he attempted to place it's origin, but found no-one. "Show yourself!"

**"So you are finally able to hear me..."**

"Where are you?!"

**"I'm right here. I've always been right here... I am the one who knows you, better than anyone else."**

As if suddenly coming to a realisation, Kenpachi looked down at his discarded sword.

**"Hello, Kenpachi Zaraki,"** it said. **"It's nice to finally meet you. My name is..."**

* * *

Yhwach descended the steps from his throne room, down towards the gathering Sternritter. His black cloak billowed around his body, granting him the visage of a giant formless bat.

The Sternritter watched him intently.

"Good evening, my Sternritter," he said; his voice echoing through the cavernous hall. "I have something which I would like to discuss with you..."

* * *

**_[A/N: For everyone that has stuck with me this long, I'm so glad that you're still enjoying this fic._**

**_Once again, this hasn't exactly been a chapter with a lot of content differing from the manga, however rest assured. During the next two chapters is when the real deviations shall begin. I don't want to spoil too much, but it's going to get crazy._**

**_I have also provided a list of the Sternritter revealed so far, on my profile, if you need any help remembering who's who. I've also included links to some concept art I've drawn up, based on physical descriptions and art from Tekking's results video; if you want to check that out.]_**


	20. Sternenlicht, Spielen Helles

**Chapter 20: Sternenlicht, Spielen Helles**

Yhwach's face bore a wide smile. Wild mutton chops and long matted hair framed his face and glowing red eyes. He addressed the Sternritter with deep pride in his voice.

"My dear Sternritter," he boomed. "I am sure that you are wondering for what purpose I have called you all together. I wish to dispel the rumours that this is concerning the second invasion." He began to pace across the podium. "But first, I wish to ask you all a question."

Several Sternritter nervously shifted in place.

"How many of you here are Echt? How many of you are of pure birth?"

They didn't know how to respond. All of the Sternritter were aware of the Auswhälen His Majesty had performed eight years earlier. They were all Echt Quincy. Not a single Gemischt Quincy was left alive.

Yhwach maintained his smile. "Well?"

All of the Sternritter raised their hands into the air.

"As I expected," Yhwach continued. "But why would I ask you this? None could survive the Auswhälen..." He closed his eyes. "Though that's not exactly true... Is it?"

Behind him, the curtain that usually hung over the entrance to his throne room, halfway up the great staircase, cascaded to the flood.

Uryu Ishida hung from the wall, crucified and bound by chains of light. Blood clung to his form and dripped to the floor. Behind his glasses, his eyes were hooded and barely open.

Half of the Sternritter recoiled in horror. The other half appeared intrigued by the display.

"This," Yhwach indicated the bloodied and beaten boy, "is Uryu Ishida. The last survivor." The Quincy King continued to pace across the stage, his hands on his hips. "He is a former ally of Kurosaki Ichigo... Two days ago, we managed to acquire him. He has since been... educated; and is now willing to join our army."

Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N)'s eyes were glued to the boy. His clenched fist was trembling and blood dripped from between his fingers. Teeth ground together as he watched the display.

Yhwach dispelled the reishi chains and spikes, dropping the boy from the wall. He turned towards him. "Isn't that right, Uryu?"

"Yes..." Uryu uttered, unsteadily lifting himself to his knees. "Y- Your... Majesty..."

Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) looked away. She couldn't stand to watch the display. Pulling her hand up to her face she began to chew the gap between her index finger and thumb.

Yhwach stepped back and beckoned Uryu to stand. "Now rise Uryu Ishida... Rise and meet your fellows."

Uryu staggered to his feet. Blood continued to drip from his body and pool beneath his feet. His trembling hand rose at his side, before falling into a salute. "H-hello... M... M-my name is Uryu I-...shida."

* * *

"That poor boy," Clarlonde muttered, pushing her black and white hair behind her ear. Her eyes were cast to the floor and she was chewing on the corner of her lip, nervously. Her hand was bloody from where she had bitten clean through the skin.

"I find myself agreeing with you," Knight said, folding his large armoured arms. "While I do not wish to disrespect my Sire, I believe that less extreme measures would have been sufficient to gain the boy's loyalty."

Sternritter S, Aya Herz, said nothing. Instead, she allowed her violet eyes to linger on the bloody boy, sat on the edge of the stage, constructed from Reishi. Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) was tending to him.

"Why do you think His Majesty decided to bring him here now?" Dientlynne Deiweiber (Sternritter U) asked. Her voice lacked the sympathy of the other two. She simply seemed dazed and jaded by the situation.

"His Majesty more than likely wishes to utilise him in the upcoming fight," Knight said. "I believe that Master Ishida has a connection to the Kurosaki boy. And there is always the matter of his resistance to the Auswhälen. That is not something to be taken lightly."

"Why does everyone care about this guy so much?!" Aya suddenly blurted out. "He's just another Quincy. And a Gemischt one at that! He doesn't even deserve to be here!"

"Young Miss-" Knight began, before he was cut off by the young girl's ranting.

"I'm going to go and tell him exactly what I think of him!" the girl shouted, breaking away from her own group and making a beeline for the stairs on which Uryu sat.

Storming up the stairs, Knight hurriedly trying to catch up to her and stop her, Aya approached Uryu and glared down at him through her purple eyes. Jamina was injecting him with a luminous blue fluid, from one of the numerous syringes she always carried with her.

Aya folded her arms over her chest. "Just who do you think you are?"

"Miss Herz!" Knight called after her, his armour rattling as he ran up the steps behind her.

Uryu looked up, through hooded eyes and peered through the blood dripping from his brow. He scanned the girl. "Someone of no importance," he said, answering her question.

"That was very rude, Miss," Knight said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and admonishing her. "Now apologise to Master Ishida."

Aya pouted. She was about to reply when she was cut off by a smug voice.

"I don't know why you waste your breath like that, Knight," Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) said. He was sat parallel to them, on the stairs. "We all know Aya is too stubborn to listen to anything anyone has to say, if she doesn't like it."

Aya rounded on him. "No one was speaking to you!" she snapped.

Onmar smirked and glanced at her through the corner of his lime green eyes. "I thought my opinion was needed. If we leave it up to the walking tin can, you'll never learn. He's too soft on you."

"Master Gunther," Knight said, sternly. "I implore you to retract your words. Otherwise I will take it as a slight against my honour, and have to pacify you."

"I'm sorry," Onmar said, lifting his hands either side of his head. "I didn't mean to offend you. I was just pointing out that Aya could act a little more ladylike."

Aya hissed between her teeth and moved to remove her left glove. "I'm going to shatter you."

Uryu moved so fast that no one even saw him twitch. Half-dead as he was, he managed to rise to his feet and grab Aya's right wrist.

"I don't want you fighting on my account," Uryu said, bluntly.

Onmar blinked in surprise, before whistling between his teeth. "Impressive."

"Thanks," Uryu muttered dismissively, releasing Aya. Turning his attention back to the girl, he stared intensely into her eyes. "I don't know what your Schrift is, but turning your power against a comrade is stupid." His eyes flicked downwards momentarily, noting Onmar's raised foot slowly returning to the floor. "And if my guess is right, this guy would probably come out on top if you two were to fight."

Aya scoffed and turned away from him, descending the stairs without another word.

Knight walked up to Uryu and bowed. "Thank you, sir," his voice echoed from the helmet. "Had they fought, Young Miss would have been injured. Should you need anything... Do not hesitate to call on me." With that, he turned and joined the girl.

Onmar leaned back, up the stairs, and clasped his hands behind his head. The point of his black fringe rested against the bridge of his nose. "How did you know I would win?"

Uryu sat back down and allowed Jamina to continue treating him. "I saw your foot," he explained. "As soon as she moved to attack you, you lifted it. So I'm guessing that has something to do with your abilities... And you were completely calm."

"Most people usually underestimate him," Jamina told Uryu as she tended his wounds. "Because of his personality. He's always complaining and is a real pain to get along with, so everyone assumes that he's just a grunt."

"Good thing I'm perceptive," Uryu said, flatly.

"You'd best keep that to yourself," Sylvanus Athala said, descending the stairs behind the trio and looking down at Uryu. "Most of them are trying to hide something. They don't like people knowing what they're up to at the best of times."

"I'll keep that in mind," Uryu muttered in response, wrings his hand around his wrist. The stigmata from where he had been nailed to the wall had completely closed up. He eyes Jamina appreciatively. "That's one hell of a power you have."

Jamina giggled to herself and blushed. "Like it? Personally I think it's the best out of the Sternritter."

"It's definitely the most useful," Sylvanus said, smiling.

"I was wondering..." Uryu asked. "How does it work?"

"You actually want to know?" Jamina questioned, shocked. "Most people don't care how, they just let me heal them and then go."

"I like to know how things work," Uryu said.

Jamina beamed. "Okay!" She pulled out one of her syringes and pointed to it. "Most people think that it's just the fluid in the injection that heals them, and I have different ones depending on the injury." Her smile widened. "But that's not it. It's all the same liquid. Particles of blue reishi began to flow from her finger into the needle. What I do is combine my Reiatsu with the fluid, and then I can control the properties at will."

"Wow," Uryu said, impressed. "That's amazing."

"Thanks!" Jamina said, blushing again.

"Haven't you left out something?" Onmar muttered, still in the same laying position. "Like how you use it in combat." There was an edge to his voice that seemed like he was goading her.

"Oh!" Jamina giggled. "Well I don't want to give away everything so soon, do I?"

Uryu got the sneaking suspicion that the cute and ditsy girl was a lot more dangerous than she was letting on. In spite of how nice she was, and maybe even because of it, he felt uneasy.

He could sense that every single one of the Sternritter were as strong as, if not stronger than, the average Shinigami Captain. And that analysis was excluding all of their strange powers. Uryu needed to watch his step. Despite being on their side, any one of them could turn on him at any second.

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) spat out.

Sternritter D, Basilisk Jones, simply continued to absent-mindedly sketch. On the table beside him was a flat sheet of paper, upon which was a drawing of Uryu Ishida; crucified. His left hand gripped a pencil and danced over it. "This is none of our concern..." His voice was emotionless and blunt.

"Don't you have any pride?" Legion hissed through his beard, leaning close to Basilisk. His breath stank of death; like he was rotting from the inside out.

Basilisk's sky blue eyes narrowed and he looked up from the paper. He stopped sketching. His gaze darted over Legion's face.

The older man bore bags under his eyes, and his sclera were yellowed. Veins extended across their surface, and his pupils were different sizes. His usual amber eyes were discoloured a sickly shade of yellow.

"Are you okay?" Basilisk asked, lifting one eyebrow. His voice remained stoic.

"What do you mean?" Legion responded, backing up dismissively.

"You look sick."

"The hell if I know..." Legion grumbled. "I've been like it since the invasion. That bitch Jamina can't do anything about it."

"That's strange," Basilisk muttered. "Jamina is usually able to deal with most problems like that."

"At least the trembling has stopped. She was able to fix that, at least."

Basilisk continued to watch the old man for several seconds. Behind the white fabric mask, that reached the bridge of his nose, his breathing was slow and steady.

"I would have thought you'd know what it was," he finally said. "What with the amount that you'd travelled."

"When I travelled, I looked at the scenery, not the diseases," Legion mockingly replied. "I wanted to see the world. The people, as far as I'm concerned, didn't deserve to be spoiling my view."

Basilisk hummed in response and returned to his sketch. The graphite wizzed across the paper. The lines danced outwards. Soon the drawing was complete. He put down his pencil.

Legion craned his neck to look at the picture. He pulled his top lip up in mild disgust. "That's sick."

"That's a crucifixion," Basilisk corrected, completely deadpan and lacking even a hint of sarcasm.

"I get the feeling that subtle is lost on you," Legion muttered. "Metaphors just go over your head..."

"Nothing goes over my head," Basilisk said. Not an ounce of irony was present in his voice. "My reflexes are too fast; I would catch it."

Legion Longstride paused. _Did he just make a joke?_

He dismissed it with a shake of his head. "You're such an idiot..."

* * *

Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) walked into Yhwach's throne room. She had discarded her usual red cape, instead wearing her regular Sternritter uniform; the jacket cut high to show off her mid-riff.

"Lenora," Yhwach uttered, calmly, as she approached his throne from the back.

"Your display earlier has certainly created a buzz among the Sternritter," Lenora said. "Your Majesty, are you certain that was the correct way to introduce Uryu Ishida to the Knights?"

"All eyes are on him now," Yhwach replied. "By doing so I made him a spectacle. I initially considered announcing him as my successor, for the very same reason..."

Lenora felt her face grow hot with anger at the revelation. She was His Majesty's closest aide; and to think that she had almost been passed over for such a trivial reason left acid coursing through her veins.

"However," he continued, "breaking him like that is in our best interests. By making him my successor, all eyes would be on him, true... He would be unable to make any moves. But through his education, loyalty and fear has been drawn from him. So much so that he would not even consider taking action against us."

As she listened to the explanation, Lenora's full red lips twisted into a grin. She understood perfectly.

Every member of the Sternritter were already in deep discussions or thoughts concerning the boy. He would be completely immobilised, if he decided to turn his power against them. Not to mention the fear of rebellion that was undoubtedly instilled in him during the torture.

"That's genius, Your Majesty," Lenora said, her hands finding her hips.

"Thank you, Lenora," Yhwach replied, smiling. His red eyes slowly rose, until he was staring out of his palace and into the open night sky.

Stars glittered and twinkled through the black. Ever-changing shapes and shadows of light were thrown down upon the buildings of the Silbern.

The breeze that fluttered throughout the streets carried on it whispers of the new arrival.

"And with that..." Yhwach said slowly. "The preparations for the War are complete."

* * *

"Seventy one hours an' fourty eight minutes," Ohetsu Nimaya said, smirking. "Just about three days and nights..."

Beneath him, the darkness of the Asauchi's lair swallowed almost all light thrown down upon it. Only a small patch of illumination was visible. A shadowy figure stood in the middle of it; badly beaten.

"Yer game was on point. Ya' got the skills to pay the bills." Nimaya scratched the side of his face in a distracted manner. "Ya' pass with flying colours... Renji-chan~."

Off to the side, Ichigo began to struggle to his feet, using his severed wrist as a support. He was breathing heavily and sweating. "W... Wait... I can still..."

"Not happenin'," Nimaya interjected. "Epic fail. That was so whack it hurt me t' watch."

"B-but... you never said... there was a time limit!"

"Yer right," Nimaya relplied. "But mah patience has reached its limit. And fact is... Asauchi themselves have deemed ya' unworthy. S' out of mah hands. Game, set, n' match. So whack..."

"H-hang on!" Ichigo staggered to his feet and shouted up at the Royal Guard member. "You can't-!"

"Think you'll find I can. All's been proven is Renji is a true Shinigami... And yer nothin' but a fake. Least I can do is show you the door." He turned away and waved his hand dismissively. "Get outta here. Go home."

Ichigo felt his heart lurch in his chest. _No! This isn't right!_

"Don't bother showin' ya' mug around here again," Nimaya continued. "Soul Society ain't a place for poser Soul Reapers."

"Wait!" Ichigo screamed. "If I go now, what's going to happen to Zangetsu?!"

Nimaya didn't even bother to turn around. "S'not mah problem. I ain't fixin' him. Go, Shi, San, Ni-maya Ohetsu don't give blades to fakes."

Ichigo felt a sudden surge of rage grip his body like a vice. Leaping from the ground, he left the Houou-den and charged Nimaya. "You bastard!"

Half turning, the Royal Guard shot two blasts of spiritual energy at the youth. The orange-haired boy was flung into a portal and vanished.

"Have a nice trip, Ichigo-chaaaaan~!"


	21. Walking With Watchers

**Chapter 21: Walking With Watchers**

Ohetsu Nimaya watched as Ichigo disappeared into the portal. He pushed his ornate sunglasses up his nose.

"Ya' need to step yer game up, Ichigo-chan," he said, staring off into space. "Asauchi deemed ya' unworthy... Which means ya' came this far without an Asauchi in the firs' place. Ya' need t' crawl before ya' can walk. Ya' need t' start from the ground up... And if that means never comin' back here again... So be it."

* * *

Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) was deep in thought. He walked the streets of the Silbern, snow crunching against his boots. As usual, he wore his skull mask, and his almost luminous blue eyes shone from the sockets.

Eric was thinking about Uryu Ishida. About how he couldn't even stand to look at him, when Yhwach had revealed the boy. He felt so sorry for him. He had wanted to save him.

He began to tremble and shake with rage.

The display had dragged up old memories, he had long tried to banish from his mind.

Eric felt sick.

He paid no mind to where he was going; his mind lost in thought. Eric failed to notice the two women walking towards him.

Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) and Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) were almost bowled over as the man strode into them. Their contrasting red and blue hair flailed wildly through the air.

Eric slipped on the icy floor and landed on his back.

"Sorry, sorry!" he hurriedly apologised.

"It's okay..." Nina said, reaching down to help him up, only to have her hand refused. "You need to watch where you're going, though."

Eric lifted himself back to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," he said, attempting to brush snow from the back of his white trench coat. The damp had already caused it to go slightly see-through. "I was lost in thought..."

"What were you thinking about?" Nina asked; her natural curiosity surpassing her usually withdrawn attitude.

"I was thinking about Uryu Ishida," Eric replied.

"As are most of the Silbern, probably," said Nina, in response. Her deep brown eyes were gazing at the ice castle, behind Eric.

Stood off to the side, Adelaid kept herself to herself. She merely listened to the pair's discussion.

"I feel sorry for him," Eric said. "I wanted to save him."

"Some people didn't," Nina replied, stoically. "Did you see Balder's face? He wanted to finish him off."

Eric was about to say something, but thought better of it. Instead he said: "It was the first time I've even seen Balder in weeks. I think he was hiding during the first attack."

"I don't think so," Nina said. Her eyes narrowed. "Based on his abilities, he was probably participating from a distance."

"Yeah I guess so." His mouth, visible below his skull mask, twisted. "Now that I think about it, I think Balder's abilities are quite simple and effective... It makes a nice change from all these complicated monsters running around."

"You say that, but from what I've heard, your ability is quite complicated," Nina said, with a discerning smile.

"You've got me at a disadvantage," he responded. "You seem to know quite a lot about me, but I don't know anything about you."

"I like to keep myself to myself," she said, with an ever so slight smirk. "And I'm naturally curious."

"Give me a hint?" he asked, returning the smirk.

"It begins with a B."

"Who'd have thought?" Eric began to chuckle.

Nina involuntarily began to blush. Catching herself, she let out a quick breath and prayed that he didn't notice.

Watching the conversation, Adelaid's mood brightened. Her hair changed from it's usual bright blue to a deep crimson; matching Nina's.

"Well that's curious," Eric muttered, noting the colour change.

Realising that Adelaid's hair had changed, Nina began to blush even more furiously than before. She knew, through discussion with her sole friend, that Adelaid's hair only changed colour when she saw something cute. The prospect that she had found her conversation with Eric such, both horrified and intrigued her.

"Well, we had better get moving," Nina blurted out. Beginning to walk off, Adelaid followed her. Permitting herself a quick glance over her shoulder, as she walked, she eyed Eric. "I'll see you later."

Eric, apparently oblivious to what had just occurred, waved. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

Turning towards Nina as they walked, Adelaid whispered: "What did I just witness?"

"Nothing," Nina replied, defensively. "I don't know what you think you saw, but I was just talking to him."

"It was adorable," Adelaid insisted. "You like him; I know you do."

"Don't be ridiculous," came the reply. "I don't like anyone. Well; except you, of course."

"Have you talked to him before?"

"Well, no. But-"

"Then how do you know that you don't like him?" Adelaid smiled. "I saw that little back and forth. You were flirting with him."

"I don't even know what his face looks like," Nina persisted.

"Maybe that's what's doing it for you?" Adelaid responded, breaking into a laugh.

As Nina laughed at her friend's joke, she caught herself thinking about Eric.

* * *

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) was laying on his bed. Pale eyes, like chips of dirty eyes, lingered on the window as he watched the snow fall. From his forehead, two prominent horns had sprouted.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he grunted, lazily. Snow turned onto his side, so that he was facing the entrance.

Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) walked into the room and placed her hands on her hips. Her short black hair hung down over her face as she tilted her head to the side.

Snow looked into her emerald green eyes and raised one eyebrow. "This is a surprise." His womanly face moved lazily. "I thought you didn't like me?"

Tomoko broke into a slight grin. "I don't."

"Then why have you graced me with your presence?" Snow asked, waving his arms half-heatedly around.

"What's that outside the window?" Tomoko retorted, annoyed.

Snow grunted and looked over his shoulder. "Snow?" he replied, apathetically.

"Because of you, Onmar is throwing a fit." She pointed at the horns atop his head. "I don't get why you insist on using your Schrift as much as you do."

He broke into a smirk. "I like watching Onmar squirm. I know how much he hates the cold."

"So you do it just to spite him?"

"Pretty much."

"That's all well and good," Tomoko said. "But you're not the one he runs to every time he gets so much as a shiver. You know my ability has a time limit, so he's a source of endless annoyance. And, by association, you are too."

Snow seemed to mull over the statement for several seconds. He retracted his horns, and the snow outside the window stopped. "Better?"

"Much," Tomoko replied. As she was about to remove herself from her comrade's living quarters, she stopped and continued to talk to Snow. "Why do you provoke him?" she asked. "You know Onmar could kill you."

"At this point, it's a game," Snow muttered. "If he does, then I win... And he knows that."

Tomoko began to chuckle. "You're a strange one..."

Snow rolled onto his back and clasped his hands behind his head. "So I've been told."

"I shouldn't be complaining, really," Tomoko sighed, folding her arms. "My ability makes me too hot. I should be grateful for you cooling me down."

Lost in thought for several minutes, the beautiful man all but ignored the girl that was stood in his quarters. What she had said about Onmar being able to kill him, had piquéd his curiosity.

"Who do you think is the strongest Sternritter?" he suddenly asked.

The question caught Tomoko by surprise. Her mouth and bright green eyes twisted. "That's a tough one..." She pulled a chair from beside a nearby table and sat down. Crossing one leg over the other, she began to ponder. "Of course there are the four elites..."

"But rank doesn't necessarily dictate strength, does it?" Snow grinned.

"I don't know about that..." Tomoko said, returning the smile. "Joseph Fehler is a monster."

"His Schrift is definitely tricky... Plus he's powerful to boot." The womanly man continued to stare at the ceiling. "But I wouldn't say that he's the strongest."

"Zeit?" Tomoko suggested, putting forward the name of the much-famed Sternritter O.

"Zeit is definitely in the running," he muttered. "But he's much too quiet to get a read on." Flicking one pale eye to the side, he watched Tomoko. "I'd say you're in the running."

"If you're including me, it would be rude not to include Knight." She smirked. "His strength is potentially unlimited."

Snow only hummed in response.

"I notice that you haven't included Onmar in your prospects for strength." Tomoko lifted one eyebrow.

"What can I say..." Snow replied. "I don't hold him in too high a regard."

* * *

Balder Blitzkrieg (Sternritter W) was spinning a knife around his fingers.

The light above him was shining down on his deep brown skin. Coal black eyes were fixed on the blade. His other hand was stroking the stylised goatee that adorned his chin.

Sat opposite him, was Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O).

"So, how was your time in Hueco Mundo?" Balder asked the young boy.

Zeit shrugged and smiled. He tapped against the table several times; morse code.

"You know, a lot of the other Ritters think you're mute?" Blader chuckled, taking his eyes off of the knife to look at Zeit. "I just don't have the heart t' tell 'em you choose not t' talk."

The boy snatched the knife out of the air and broke into a grin. Placing his palm on the table that the pair were sat at, he splayed his fingers.

The knife moved so fast that it vanished. Over and over he stabbed the gaps between his fingers, never so much as knicking himself. Once he was done, Zeit plunged the blade into the wood and left it protruding from the table.

Balder leaned over and inspected the pockmarks on the surface. In the spaces between and surrounding his fingers, Zeit had spelled out six words: "What they don't know won't hurt."

The black man chuckled and ran his hand over the top of his bald head. "You've got a point."

Zeit only smiled in reply. He titled his head to the side.

As he looked at the words, Balder couldn't help but feel impressed. Before he had been drafted into the Vandenreich, he had been a soldier. His old army friends and comrades had played the knife game, and never had he seen someone move so fast and so precise.

He and Zeit were two of the longest serving Sternritter. Gillaume DaVinci (The Friction) and Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) were the only two who had been enlisted as long as they had.

Balder had joined their ranks almost ten years earlier, before the Auswhälen had been conducted. Legion became a Sternritter a year later. Gillaume, on the other hand, seemed to have always been there. It was almost as if he were part of the scenery. Balder had heard a rumour that Gillaume was the one that designed the ice palace, that marked the epicentre of the Silbern.

Zeit, however, was a mystery. Balder knew that he had joined before him, but the exact time was unknown.

Another curious thing was that the boy never seemed to age.

Admittedly, Balder knew the curious boy a lot better than most other Sternritter; save Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C). But even then, there was still an almost ludicrous amount that he didn't know.

Just as he was about to say something, Balder's non-statement was interrupted by the sudden interference of Yhwach's voice entering his mind. From the look on the youth's face, Zeit could hear it as well.

_"My dear Sternritter," _His Majesty's voice said. _"You are to gather in my Palace. The end is nigh. The final assault approaches."_

* * *

Ichigo felt rain on his face.

He awoke, laying on the sidewalk. He no longer wore his Shihakusho; instead clad in the clothes that he had been wearing when he entered Urahara Shoten, the evening of the first invasion. Orange hair clung to his face, due to the moisture.

"What... Am I...?" Ichigo questioned, lifting his left arm to wipe his face. Despite being in a physical body, his hand was still missing. As he realised this, he gritted his teeth.

Light fell on his face. Squinting up at the sky, he saw the sign of the Kurosaki clinic. He was at home.

Realising that his human body must have been brought home by Urahara, he began to call after the store owner. "Urahara! Urahara?!"

He heard the door open behind him.

_It's probably dad..._

Ichigo's mind briefly flashed back to his father, clad in the uniform of a Shinigami.

_How can I face him, after what has happened to me...? How can I face any of them? I've lost my Zanpakuto and my hand..._

As he moved to run, Ichigo was grabbed around the top of his right arm. Turning back, he found his father's gaze.

"Dad, I..." he stammered, unsure over what to say.

It was then that he realised the Isshin was clad in a Shihakusho. Ichigo stopped in his tracks and broke into a somber expression.

"You... Came for me, wearing that..." Ichigo said. "So I'm sure you know what has happened..."

"Yeah..." Isshin said, releasing his son's arm. "Urahara told me all about your broken Zanpakuto. About your hand. And all about the Royal Guard." He looked into Ichigo's eyes. "Nimaya sent you back here, didn't he?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open wide at the statement.

"It's to be expected..." Isshin closed his eyes and folded his arms. The rain continued to fall on the pair. "Your Bankai is beyond repair... And I doubt he would help you. Especially considering... You don't know anything about yourself."

Ichigo's right hand grasped the neck of his father's Shihakusho and he practically lifted him off of the ground. He was trembling with anger.

Isshin slowly reached up and removed his son's hand from his clothes. "Do you remember back in the fight with Aizen? When you said that I could tell you when I was ready... Well I'm ready." He placed one hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "You had better come inside and sit down... I'm going to tell you the truth about everything..."


	22. Everything But The Rain

**Chapter 22: Everything But The Rain**

Ichigo sat down on his familiar couch and placed his hand and wrist atop his knees. His deep brown eyes stared into his father's own similar spheres.

"So where do you want to start...?" Ichigo asked him.

"I guess I should start at the beginning," Isshin replied. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I am... Or rather, I was... Isshin Shiba. The head of the Shoba family."

Ichigo pulled a dumbfounded face. "So Kukaku and Ganju are-?"

"My niece and nephew, yes," Isshin said, cutting his son off.

The orange-haired boy permitted himself an brief moment of disgust at the idea that he was related to Ganju.

"I was the Captain of Squad Ten. Rangiku Matsumoto was my second, and Toshiro Hitsugaya was my third seat." His eyes narrowed. "And yes... Before you say it... I've heard about Toshiro." He took a deep breath and shifted his sitting position. "There was in incident, in Narukishi City. Shinigami were vanishing in droves, and so I... I disobeyed an order from the Head Captain and went to investigate it on my own."

Ichigo said nothing. He simply listened to his father, telling the story.

"When I arrived in the city, I was attacked," Isshin continued. "This thing... It looked like a hollow, but it was much stronger... Much, much stronger."

* * *

**_-Narukishi City, Twenty Years Ago-_**

Isshin Shiba (Captain of Squad 10) leapt between buildings, in an attempt to dodge the creature's repeated attacks. It was ridiculously fast.

Blood stained the back of his Captain's Haori. When he arrived, the creature had blindsided him.

Isshin gritted his teeth.

_With a wound like this, I won't be able to use my Bankai... Shit..._

He ducked sideways, narrowly avoiding a strike from the thing's bladed forearms. A cut opened up across his cheek.

Retaliating, Isshin launched white fire from his Zanpakuto up at his assailant. He had long ago released Engetsu. The strange creature leapt back to dodge.

_Come on you slippery bastard! Just stay still!_

All around him, the rain cascaded down; the droplets a thick swarm. Isshin's feet ripped through the water that was drowning the street.

Strike after strike, the creature either dodged or blocked everything that he threw at it. Leaping up, their battle was taken skyward; suspended in the airborne reishi.

Within minutes, the pair's exchange had flung them at least three Ri southwest.

"Captain Shiba?!" suddenly arose a voice from behind Isshin. "What are you doing here?! This is the Thirteenth Squad's district!"

_What?! We've been forced into another district already?! Where are we?!_

He forced back the hollow and caught a brief glimpse of a sign in his peripheral vision. It read: "**Karakura-Cho**".

The hollow suddenly stopped attacking him and made a beeline for the unseated Shinigami that had shouted. Bypassing Isshin's blade, it launched itself at the Soul Reaper and began charging a cero between its long horns.

"No! Damn it!" Isshin screamed, turning back on himself to chase after the creature.

An explosion ripped through the cloudy sky.

* * *

Ichigo looked into his father's eyes and clenched his remaining fist.

"It was all I could do to touch it, without my Bankai," Isshin said, slowly. "It got away from me, and attacked a nearby Shinigami. That's when I think they noticed us..."

"Who noticed you?" Ichigo asked.

"I didn't know this at the time..." Isshin started. "But two families of Quincy had made their home in Karakura town. Two very old and powerful families... The Ishida... And the Kurosaki..."

* * *

Masaki Kurosaki ran through the streets of Karakura town. All around her, the rain tore through the air.

Her leather shoes splashed through the puddles, throwing water up her legs. Deep auburn hair clung to her face; fixed by rivulets of water.

She had felt the echoes of spiritual pressure, even when it was contained in Narukishi City. They were that immense. From what she could tell, it was a hollow and a Shinigami that were fighting.

Explosions shook the very air around her as she sensed the two entities clash.

The Ishida family had all but forbidden her from going after the Hollow. They claimed that it was far too dangerous, and that she would be killed. As a pure blooded Quincy, that had to be avoided at all costs.

However, Masaki couldn't just let someone potentially die, due to her inaction.

She caught sight of two individuals in the sky above her.

Up in the air, about a quarter mile away from Masaki, Isshin ground his blade against the creature's forearm. "No way something as powerful as you has been running around without the Soul Society noticing. Someone's been covering your ass! Who's pulling your strings?!"

The thing said nothing. It continued to stare at him through empty black sockets.

Suddenly, Isshin felt another blow against his back. It had not come from the hollow-like creature. He fell from the sky and landed atop a building.

_That was a Zanpakuto... So that's it. There's a traitor that's been controlling this thing!_

"Show yourself!" he shouted into thin air. "Where are you hiding?!"

Isshin didn't get a chance to continue his search. Falling upon him, the hollow clashed against Engetsu yet again, cracking the concrete beneath his back. Dust flew up into the air, around the Captain's body.

Forcing his adversary back, Isshin pulled himself to his feet and jumped into the air. "No time for breathing room, eh?!" He reached over his shoulder and palmed the blood gripping his clothes. Pulling it to his lips, he sucked in the crimson fluid before breathing it out onto his Zanpakuto. White fire tore through the air, evaporating the rain around it, and collided with the creature.

A monstrous explosion ripped through the sky. The thing's right arm was torn from it's body by the blast and shot down onto the street below, where it continued to burn.

Minus an arm, it still continued to charge Isshin. Once more, his back felt concrete buckle and cave as he was slammed into the top of a building. He was so focussed on blocking the creature's arm, that he realised too late that it was charging a cero in front of his face.

_Shit...!_

Out of nowhere, a bright blue arrow, formed from reishi rocketed through the air, towards the creature's head. It managed to hurriedly dodge; dispersing its cero.

Isshin's head whirled towards the source of the shot.

Stood in the middle of the street, beneath the building, was a girl. Her soaking auburn hair whipped around her face, matching the motion of her school uniform. In her hands, she held a bow, constructed from reishi.

_A Quincy... _Isshin thought, gasping.

The creature flew from the Captain and made a mad dash for Masaki. It moved insanely fast.

Before Isshin could even register how he would go after it, Masaki did a curious thing. As opposed to shooting at it, she dispelled her bow and extended one arm at it.

_What is she...?_

"Dodge, you idiot!"

Masaki ignored Isshin's shouting. The black creature bit clean through her left shoulder; teeth sinking into flesh. Blood poured down her back.

Her left arm shot up and grasped it around the back of the head. Masaki's right hand manifested a small bow, that she placed on the side of the thing's temple.

"Got youuuu~!" she cooed, blasting it in the head, point blank.

* * *

"That was when I first saw her," Isshin said, with a weak smile. "She was so... Beautiful. Beautiful and strong." He began to laugh under his breath. "I was kind of embarrassed... I mean, a teenage girl saving a Captain?"

Ichigo felt himself break into an unintentional smile. Hearing about his father's first reaction to his mother was nice.

"I asked her her name, and of course she told me," Isshin continued. "But I had to return to the Soul Society... I reported the incident to the Head Captain, though I left out the details about your mother's involvement. I didn't want to cause her any trouble." He scratched the side of his head and smiled bashfully. "Truth told, I couldn't stop thinking about her... So I went back to see her."

* * *

Ryuken Ishida was running through the streets of Karakura-Cho, cradling Masaki in his arms. He was sweating and his breathing was ragged.

Desperation gripped his face.

Ryuken didn't know where he was running to; only that he needed to help Masaki. She had collapsed fifteen minutes earlier. It appeared as if there was a Hollow hole opening on her chest.

He was so focussed on running and caring for the girl, that he failed to check his surroundings. Before he knew it, there was a Hollow charging him.

But this was not to be his day. The creature was split cleanly in half, by and unknown force.

Hurriedly trying to place his saviour, Ryuken called out into the empty air.

"Phew... Close call," Isshin Shiba said, stepping forwards. "Looks like I made it in the knick of time."

"You...!" Ryuken hissed.

Noticing the Hollow hole, beneath Masaki's throat, Isshin broke into a worried expression. "Wait, that's... Quick, let me see her!"

"No!" Ryuken screamed, stepping away from the Shinigami Captain. "Why do you think she's like this?! She was attacked by that Hollow because she was trying to protect you! This is all your fault!"

Isshin's eyes opened wide and he gasped.

"She broke the Quincy Code!" continued Ryuken. "She went out to save you, when she was supposed to stay inside! Because of that, she was injured!" His eyes narrowed. "I swear that I'll-!"

"Lets stop this..." suddenly arose a voice.

Isshin and Ryuken turned towards the source of the voice. Stood, watching them, was a man in a black cloak. Pulled down low, his hat shrouded half of his face in shadow.

"Both of you follow me," he said. "If you do, I'll be able to help you save that girl."

* * *

"That was the first time I met Kisuke Urahara," Isshin explained. "And Uryu's father..."

"What..." Ichigo cleared his throat. "What was wrong with Mom?"

"The Hollow that attacked me, I found out, was created by Aizen," said Isshin, narrowing his eyes. "That was the traitor who attacked me. The Hollow was designed to Hollowfy any high level Shinigami that it managed to bite. But for some reason... It's natural instincts drew it to attack your mother."

Ichigo clenched his fist. He suddenly had a strange inkling as to what his father was going to say.

"She began to Hollowfy," his father said. "But, for some reason it was poisoning her. Kisuke called it Soul Suicide... It means that her Soul wasn't used to the Hollowfication and was starting to break down."

The orange-haired youth was trembling.

"Kisuke said that the only way to counteract the Soul Suicide was to insert something to suppress the hollow Reiatsu. To restore balance in the Soul." Isshin broke into a slight smile. "Ryuken was outraged... Knowing that he couldn't be the one to help her. That it had to be me." His expression softened. "Truth be told, I don't think he thought I would actually do it. In order to counteract the Hollowfication, my soul had to be inserted into a Gigai, and then bound to Masaki with reishi strings. It would leave me human... Unable to even see Hollows."

"But you did it to protect Mom..." Ichigo smiled.

"Yeah," Isshin replied, losing his slightly somber attitude and beaming. "I did it because I wanted to save her."

"So, what happened next?"

"After that Masaki was removed from the Ishida house... Due to her Soul being tainted by the Hollow, they no longer saw her as pure. As for me... The only subject I really paid any attention to in the Academy was medicine... So that's why I opened the clinic." He continued to smile. "While Masaki attended University, she would often come by to see me. I had told her that I was stripped of my powers and exiled from the Soul Society for breaking the rules. I think she knew I was lying... She could always see right through me like that. But... Those sort of things never really mattered when we were together." Tears began to well in Isshin's eyes, before slipping down his cheeks. "One day we went to see a movie... It was a total snooze-fest from start to finish... But I'll always remember how Masaki bawled her eyes out from start to finish... And this one line. The man in the movie said that how his wife was like the sun. That was when I knew... Masaki was my sun."

Ichigo remembered about how he had said something similar about his mother. About how she was the centre of his family's universe. He cast his eyes to the floor and smiled.

"Then before we knew it... You were born... And the Hollow was passed from Masaki to you. And you know the rest. You met Rukia Kuchiki; went to the Soul Society." He began to wring his hands together. "As you began to encounter strong opponents, the hollow inside you slowly awakened... And once it was fully released, the bonds holding back my Shinigami powers were broken."

Casting his eyes to the floor, Ichigo slowly came to understand everything.

"However..." Isshin suddenly said. "There is one important thing that you have been misinformed about this entire time... And that is what happened the night your mother died... Nine years ago; on the seventeenth of June."

"What are you saying...?" Ichigo asked. He had started to tremble again; however this time it was from outrage. "What happened?! What happened to Mom that you're not telling me?!" He rose to his feet.

"I'm saying that..." Isshin gripped his forearm in a vice-like grip. "Your mother wasn't supposed to die. The Quincy have a defensive ability called Blut."

"I already know that!" Ichigo shouted. "Urahara told me all about it!"

"But haven't you ever wondered... Why Uryu Ishida had no such ability?"

Ichigo's eyes opened wide.

"Pure blooded Quincy are born with it. Every single one, without fail. Mixed blooded like Uryu are not..." He looked Ichigo dead in the eye. "Knowing that... Why was your mother killed by the Hollow, Grand Fisher?"

Ichigo found himself stunned. He had not thought about it that way. In fact, even after finding out that his mother was a Quincy, the thought had never even entered his mind.

"Has Uryu Ishida ever spoken to you about his mother?" Isshin suddenly asked. Ichigo gave him no response. "His mother was Kanae Katagiri, a mixed-blood Quincy. Nine years ago, on the seventeenth of June... She collapsed... And died three months later."

"What..." Ichigo spat out, horrified. "What happened nine years ago...?!"

"Auswhälen," his father explained. "A holy selection of Quincy, conducted by Yhwach. In Quincy lore, a tale is told of a sealed Emperor... Who regained his form after nine hundred years... His mind after ninety years... And his power after nine." He gritted his teeth. "On that day, nine years ago, Yhwach selected all Quincy he deemed as impure, and stole their powers, for his own."

Ichigo felt his heart lurch. He remembered staring down Yhwach on the battlefield. Knowing that that man was responsible for his mother's death made him feel physically sick.

"Dad..." Ichigo ground out, from between his clenched teeth. "Who is... Yhwach? How can he...?"

"Yhwach," Isshin explained. "Is the predecessor of all Quincy. And his blood... Flows through the veins of every Quincy. Even you."

Ichigo recalled the words that Yhwach had spoken to him. The wound where his hand had been throbbed.

His face suddenly softened. "Dad..." he whispered, before looking up into his father's eyes. "Thank you."

* * *

Ichigo walked through the entrance to the Kurosaki Clinic, just as the rain began to subside.

Stood waiting for him, were Orihime and Chad. Their faces were somber, yet still smiling.

Orihime stepped forwards and took Ichigo's severed wrist in her hands. Without a word, she began to heal him. Reforming from the smooth skin, bone and muscle were reconstructed as the damage was rejected.

Soon, Ichigo's left hand had returned. Almost as if nothing had happened. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The restoration of his hand was the final piece of the puzzle. The sorrow that had assaulted him during his battle with Yhwach had almost completely vanished; replaced instead by fierce determination.

"Thank you..." Ichigo said, softly. Looking into the girl's eyes, he began to smile.

"Urahara-San says to tell you good luck," Orihime said, blushing subtly. "He would have come himself, but-"

"He didn't trust him alone in the shop," Ichigo said, completing her sentence; referring to the individual he had heard over the communication. "I've decided that I'm going back." He looked up into the sky. "I'm going back, and I'm going to finish what I started."

Orihime pulled a curious face. "How are you going to do that?" she asked, innocently.

Ichigo blinked. He was completely dumbfounded.

It was then that Ichigo realised that he had no method of returning to the Royal Palace. He began to feel distressed and flustered.

Appearing almost as if on-cue, Mera materialised behind Ichigo. "Fancy seeing you here," she grinned. Ichigo's face contorted in horror, as he began to scream. The spiky-haired girl grabbed him, pulling him into a portal.

There was a flash of black and Ichigo found himself back in the lair of the Asauchi; dressed in his Shihakusho. Lifting his head, hurriedly, he spotted Mera and Nimaya looking down at him from the entrance.

"What the...?" he gasped.

"Nimaya set the portal to materialise again, after exactly one night," Mera explained. "He figured, if you didn't make up your mind by then, you never would."

"Ding, ding, ding!" Nimaya cried, lifting one finger in the air. "We have a winner!" He looked down at Ichigo's face and broke into a wide grin. "Now that's a face I can dig, Ichigo-chan~! Now, whenever you're ready, the Asauchi will-"

He was cut off as all of the shapeless white creatures surrounding Ichigo simultaneously bowed. At that moment, it was as if Ichigo came to a sudden realisation.

Walking up to one, he placed his hand on its shoulder. "It's you..." he whispered. The instant Ichigo touched the Asauchi, it's skin began to chip and peel away. Beneath its outer shell, the sword took the shape of Ichigo; right down to the hair. Covering its face, was a hollow mask.

"Badass," Nimaya grinned. "Bring 'im up here... I'll personally forge it for ya'."


	23. March Of The Starcross 2

**Chapter 23: March of the Starcross 2 [The Last Nine Days]**

The Gotei Thirteen were busy preparing for the next inevitable battle with the Quincy army. Numerous soldiers bustled in an attempt to rebuild the numerous damaged buildings and streets. As this occurred, those not tasked with repair trained and honed their skills.

Akon, and the remaining members of the Research and Development Division, were busying themselves at various work stations and machines. Though their faces or work ethic didnt suggest it, they were feeling worried.

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi hadn't left his private lab in over a week. Even more worrying, the Captain had shut off all of the security devices. It was almost as if he was trying to hide something.

From their labs, in the basement of the destroyed institute, Akon and his fellows had observed their comrades progress.

Almost two weeks had passed since the initial attack and they were just about getting back on their feet. The truth of the matter was, the Shinigami were doing far better than expected.

Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki had been training almost non-stop since the end of the last attack. Honing their skills and supporting each other, through their own inner turmoil.

Not a single person had seen Sajin Komamura, or Sui-Feng, following the departure of the Zero Division. Theories exchanged, among the few remaining unseated officers, suggested that they were outside of the Seireitei, preparing themselves.

Shunsui Kyoraku was often seen prowling around the Seireitei. It appeared as if he were setting traps for the Quincy, should they make their return.

No-one knew when the Vandenreich would attack next; however, with the preparations they had put it place, they wouldn't be going down without a fight.

However, in spite of all their preparing and planning, there was one thing that the Shinigami did not account for. Something moving beneath their very feet.

The shadows.

* * *

Shunsui Kyoraku watched the Seireitei from the open wall of the Head Captain's office. The deep red sun was sinking below the horizon, throwing orange light across the rooftops below him.

Birds flew through the sky, circling the buildings.

Visible, through pink clouds, the full moon was already visible.

The new Head Captain took a deep breath and sighed deeply. He knew that he was prepared, but there were times that he was worried that even being prepared may not have been enough.

As if taking a cue from this feeling, a strange sensation began to spread up his legs; starting at his feet. In one swift move, his shadow spread out across the floor of the office and shot up the walls.

Following behind the ripple of darkness, the floor and walls began to change. Instead of wood, white marble and ice was left in the wake of the change.

From the open wall, Shunsui could see the same thing happening all across the Seireitei. Buildings were eclipsed in darkness, leaving new constructs behind.

Where the Seireitei once stood, the Silbern remained.

"Shit..." Shunsui muttered under his breath. "And just like that, all the traps that I've set are useless... Talk about taking us by surprise."

"That was the plan," arose a voice from behind the Head Captain. "We didn't break through the Shakonmaku to invade... Rather, we had been here from the beginning; hiding in the shadows."

Turning around, Shunsui adjusted his wide hat and laid eyes on a young woman. She had long purple and red hair on the top of her head, which fell down the right side of her face. The back and sides of her head were shaved, and she had bright, piercing blue eyes. She wore a variant of the typical Quincy uniform, with the jacket cut high to show off her midriff. Draped over her shoulders was a crimson cloak.

"Do continue," Kyoraku smiled, pleasantly. "It appears you're much more well prepared than I gave you all credit for." He winked. "And pretty, too."

"You're a smooth one," the woman sneered. "Especially considering who you're talking to."

"And who might that be?"

"Soldat Grand Mistress, and the personal aide of His Majesty Yhwach," she replied, smiling as she drew an ornate sword from her belt. "Sternritter C, Lenora Poultery."

Kyoraku whistled playfully between his teeth. "Mighty impressive. I am the Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen, and the Captain of the First Division, Shunsui Kyoraku. You may not have know this; I was only just appointed recently... Or is it that you did know, and that is why you're here?"

"That is why I'm here," Lenora grinned.

"Why so anxious to end things quickly?" Kyoraku asked. He still had not drawn his swords.

"His Majesty does not like long battles," Lenora explained, moving slowly. "So we were given only one order." The woman lunged forwards, sword raised. "This immediate extermination of all enemy forces!"

* * *

The machines and sensors of the Research and Development Division were all going haywire. The barely-restored laboratory was in absolute pandemonium as the various scientists and Shinigami hurried to figure out exactly what was going on.

"Shit! Nothing's coming up!" Hiyosu screamed, frantically slamming his fingers into the various buttons in front of him. "This isn't possible! How could the Seireitei just vanish?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Calm down, Hiyosu!" Akon shouted back. "Are you really doubting all of our machines?!"

"That's my point!" the portly creature retorted. "If the Seireitei is really gone, why are all our machines still here?!"

Almost occurring on-cue, shadows leapt from the ground and eclipsed the various machines and computers. The individuals of the Division now found themselves in a cavernous hall, formed from white marble and ice. Pillars of various shapes and sizes surrounded them all.

"What the fuck is happening?!" Hiyosu screamed.

"I see you're confused..." said the man in the middle of the room.

Until he spoke, none of the Research and Development Institute members had even noticed him. He was tall and well-built, and was clad in a white military uniform. Pulled over his head was a hood, and covering the bottom half of his face was a white fabric mask. His hair was messy and brown; and his eyes bright blue.

"Who the...?" Akon gasped.

Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) ignored the statement, instead choosing to continue his explanation. "One thousand years ago, when the Shinigami all but exterminated our people, we fled. Fled to a location so obvious that you overlooked it. We took refuge in the Seireitei." He placed his hands into his pockets and began to pace. "Once inside, we found something that would give us near-limitless power. Reishi. Unlike in the human world, reishi is abundant in the Soul Society. In fact, the whole world is formed from it. By using this free-flowing reishi, my ancestors were able to create a space, within the shadows of the Seireitei. And thus we named it the Vandenreich; the Invisible Empire."

"Where the hell did you come from?!" Hiyosu screamed at the man.

"Were you not listening?" Basilisk asked, emotionless. "I did not come from anywhere. I've been here, since the beginning." Forming a short knife from reishi, the Sternritter leapt forwards and cut through the throats of the two Shinigami who stood closest to him. "I expected you to be more astute than this..."

"Well you can't blame them," chuckled a voice, from thin-air. "I mean creating a pocket dimension inside the shadows? The very notion defies logic!"

In the middle of the cavernous hall, a door began to open. Blinding light seared from the doorway, and into the open air.

"But then again..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi laughed, stepping out of the invisible room. "I quite enjoy defying logic myself!"

The crazed Captain was clad, head-to-toe in an outfit that could most closely be compared to the sun. White light spewed from his form, in a similar manner to the invisible room behind him.

"I had guessed, during your last invasion, that shadows played a part in your abilities," Mayuri explained, grinning. "And so I remodelled the entire inside of my laboratory to cast no shadows whatsoever."

Basilisk raised one eyebrow. "Very impressive."

Without another word, he leapt at the Captain. He moved so fast, that many of the gathered men weren't even able to register him. Lifting his reishi knife, he attempted to slash at Mayuri's face.

The Captain's sword shot up and parried the blow.

"Unlucky for you," Mayuri said, grinning. "I've programmed my sword to automatically parry any strike heading towards me, in a three foot radius of my body."

Mayuri swung his Zanpakuto up at the Sternritter. Basilisk hurriedly jumped back, to dodge. Throwing the knife at the Captain, he watched as that too was knocked aside.

"It may not work against projectiles, but if you insist on throwing the knife that slowly, it's child's play to block," Mayuri said, half-bored.

Basilisk formed a bow from reishi and began to launch arrows at Mayuri. They were much faster than his knife. Blue flashes lanced through the air.

Hurriedly dodging, Mayuri gritted his teeth. _He's good at adapting... he thought. No emotions clouding his judgement, either... Impressive._

Still launching arrows, Basilisk suddenly directed his aim away from Mayuri, and towards the disembodied door.

"Nemu, close the entrance to the lab!" Mayuri shouted, realising the Quincy's intent.

The door closed, cutting off the light source. The arrows aimed at the entrance to Mayuri's lab did not meet their mark, instead colliding against the far wall and exploding fiercely.

_He realised that my main advantage is my equipment... _Mayuri thought, dodging yet more arrows. _He's more dangerous than I thought._

"I was sent here, with the order to quickly eliminate Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Basilisk stated, continuing to launch projectiles at his opponent. "Or to, at best, destroy his equipment."

"It seems you've failed your mission, then," Mayuri taunted, beginning to close the distance between himself and the Sternritter.

"It would appear so," Basilisk replied, dispelling his bow. "So it appears a tactical retreat is my best option."

"This is true," Mayuri chuckled, raising his Zanpakuto. "But, do you think it will be that easy to get away from me?" His sword began to change shape. "Rip it off! Ashisogi Jizo!"

Basilisk ignored the sword being swung at his head. He held up two fingers and said: "Nii."

The Sternritter fell backwards, rapidly. His form slammed into the floor and began to compress. Soon, the man was nothing more than a two dimensional image on the floor.

"My name is Basilisk Jones," his image said. "My Schrift is D, for the Dimension. I'm able to move through dimensional space."

Mayuri stabbed the forked golden blade into Basilisk's form. It punctured the floor, but did little else.

"It's useless," Basilisk explained. "I'm invulnerable in this form. Of course, I can't attack or interact with the third dimension, either."

"Ah so it's like my liquid form," Mayuri chuckled, his smile widening. "Fascinating." His yellow eyes widened in interest. "And would I be correct in assuming that you're able to interfere with the first and fourth dimensions as well?"

"I don't believe I'm at liberty to say," Basilisk replied.

The image of Basilisk, against the floor began to slide away, leaving bare ground in its wake. The Sternritter slithered away from the fray, eventually coming to a door on the far wall and disappearing underneath it.

* * *

"Don't give them an inch!"

"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!"

An explosion ripped through the air, lifting at least a dozen unseated Shinigami off of their feet, and charring another four to death. Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) pulled an exasperated expression and scratched the side of her head.

"What's the point of holding your ground?" she sighed, lifting one eyebrow. "The Seireitei is gone. It doesn't matter if you left me through or not."

The black-haired girl snapped her fingers. White lightning sparked through the air, before a second explosion detonated, killing six more Shinigami.

"What's she doing?!"

"She said her letter is E!"

"Is her ability explosions?!"

Tomoko began to chuckle. Her emerald green eyes flicked over the Shinigami surrounding her. "Explosions?" She began to chuckle, sarcastically. "Do me a favour. You really think my power is something as simple as that?"

Her fingers snapped again. White lightning shot up from the ground and flickered over a nearby building. The entire white structure collapsed down onto a dozen Shinigami soldiers.

Several of the soldiers attempted to run, only to have their feet slip across ice that had spontaneously appeared beneath their feet. The streets of the Silbern were already littered with snow, but this was different. It was clear ice; like glass.

Tomoko only laughed to herself. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. Steam was rising from her bare legs into the cold air.

"Look at what we've got here," said a voice, from behind Tomoko. It was confident and forceful.

"It seems like a Quincy to me," said another voice; calm and oddly feminine.

The female Sternritter turned around and was confronted by two Shinigami. One was bald and had orange markings extending from the corners of his eyes, while the other had silky black hair, with yellow feathers decorating his head.

Yumichika Ayasegawa and Ikkaku Madarame, of the Eleventh Division stared down Tomoko. Their Zanpakutos were already released into their Shikai states.

"I hope you're aware that those are our guys that you're killing," Ikkaku said, taking a step forward and leaning Hozukimaru on his shoulder.

"And so what if I am?" Tomoko grinned, looking them up and down. "Are you two going to fight me?"

"Exactly," Ikkaku replied, returning the smile. "You look strong. It might even be fun!"

Yumichika, who had been astutely observing the scenery, suddenly interjected with a curious statement. "It's all very chaotic here..."

Tomoko narrowed her eyes and met the Fifth Seat's own deep purple orbs in a fierce lock. Completely oblivious to this, Ikkaku began to berate his comrade for interrupting his opportunity to look cool.

_This man... _she thought to herself. _Is he really that perceptive? He can't have figured out my Schrift already..._

"-I was ready to attack and gain us some ground, when you jump in and say something irrelevant!" Ikkaku continued, over Tomoko's thoughts.

"Ikkaku," Yumichika said, stoically. "It wouldn't have been good if you just leapt in to a fight with her." He squinted and tightened his grip on his Zanpakuto. "If my theory about her powers is right, she's more than likely one of the stronger enemy soldiers."

"And what do you think my powers are?" Tomoko asked, tilting her head to the side and cracking her neck.

Yumichika smiled. "I don't want to say, incase I'm wrong."

"You might be right."

Tomoko kicked off of the ground, moving away from the two men. As she did so, she formed a rifle from reishi, and began to fire projectiles at the pair.

Yumichika and Ikkaku dodged the shots.

"Long range fighter," Yumichika stated, not taking his eyes off of the enemy.

"You cover with Kido, while I get in close?" Ikkaku asked, with a grin.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

As the battles began below, Yhwach looked down upon the Silbern from the roof of the ice palace. Beside him, stood Uryu Ishida.

Turning towards the boy, a smile playing on his lips, Yhwach asked him: "Are you familiar with the Kaiser Gesang?"

Uryu glanced over at Yhwach. "Yes, Your Majesty. After nine hundred years, the sealed King will regain his pulse; after ninety his mind; and after nine years, he will regain the power that he had lost."

"I see you are lacking knowledge of the final line," Yhwach said, sweeping his gaze over the battlefields. "That the sealed King will regain the world he is to rule, after nine days."

He stepped forwards and broke into a wide grin.

"Prepare yourself for the sights you will behold... Thus begins the last nine days."


	24. Lord of War

**Chapter 24: Lord of War**

Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) moved fast through the streets of the Silbern. His sword moved at lightning speed, cutting down any and all Shinigami that he came across. Blood shone from the floor, catching the crimson light of the sunset.

Feet, clad in white leather shoes, danced across the snow-dusted floor. He moved gracefully, avoiding every drop of blood he encountered.

Pale white hair fluttered behind him as he moved, and his silver slit eyes were narrowed discerningly. Ever since the Silbern had materialised over the top of the Seireitei, he hadn't even encountered one Seated Shinigami.

_Are they preparing for an ambush...? No, that's impossible. Given the change in terrain, how would they have the time to pick a spot?_

All of a sudden, Asuma stopped dead in his tracks. His ears fluttered, either side of his face. Asuma's nostrils flared as he sniffed the air.

He could hear-

"Chains...?"

An object came whizzing through the air. As it moved, it caught the light in a silver flash; like metal. Asuma leapt to the side, just as the weapon moved within range.

No sooner had he dodged, the spinning object turned back on itself and headed, once again, for Asuma.

_It moves strange..._ he thought, ducking forwards, so that the thing sailed over his head. _Someone's controlling it, but how?_

Trailing behind the weapon was a thin black chain. The owner was pulling and tugging on the chain, directing the object's movements.

Reaching up, Asuma moved to grasp the chain passing over him. Weaving out of the way, the metal wrapped around his right wrist. Another loop of the chain came at him from the side, catching his left arm. Soon his hands were bound together.

"Looks like I've caught you," Shuhei Hisagi, Lieutenant of the Ninth Division, said. He dropped from the roof of a nearby building and held his double-bladed scythes to his sides.

"Shuhei Hisagi," Asuma muttered, recognising the Lieutenant. "I was warned about you."

"I'm flattered..." Shuhei said flatly. He tightened his grip on the poles of his Zanpakuto.

"Your Zanpakuto is unpredictable and dangerous..." Asuma continued. His arms strained against the chains. "And as I am now, I can't break free."

Shuhei lifted one of his weapons, the reflection of his scarred and tattoed face glinting across the metal. "Then this makes it easy for me... Though I've got to say, I don't feel comfortable doing it like this. Killing an enemy that can't fight back isn't my style."

"I was told about your strange sentiments as well," Asuma replied. He was only half looking at the Assistant Captain; one eye was kept on the sky, and the rapidly setting sun.

"I hope you don't hold this against me," Shuhei retorted, partially ignoring the Sternritter. He advanced forwards with his Zanpakuto at the ready.

"Dont worry..." the white-haired Quincy said, as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon. "I won't."

Asuma's biceps suddenly bulged. Straining against the sleeves of his white jacket, they threatened to rip the fabric. An explosive burst of strength rippled through Asuma's body, and within an instant, he had broken the chains binding him.

Shuhei's eyes opened wide as his adversary vanished.

Asuma reappeared in a flash of white; his pale and spectral appearance almost seeming to blend with the surroundings. His fist was raised, and was aimed at Shuhei's head.

The strike connected, sending the Lieutenant flying. Breaking through no fewer than four buildings, he finally came to a stop beneath a pile of white rubble and snow.

Trembling, he attempted to lift himself to his feet.

Again, the Sternritter appeared in front of him. Shuhei lifted Kazeshini in an attempt to counterattack. The strike grated along the side of Asuma's cheek, followed by a trail of sparks. It didn't even break the skin.

The attack did, however, create an opportunity for Shuhei to retreat. Leaping back, in order to gain some distance, he landed on top of a nearby building.

_Where did he get that speed boost from?_ he thought, attempting to ignore the pain in his face. _And that power... He shattered my cheek bone in one punch._

"You seem confused," Asuma said, looking up at the Shinigami. "Do you want me to explain my ability to you?"

"Wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage?" Shuhei gasped, attempting to catch his breath. Sweat was already dripping down his face, in spite of the cold air.

"Hardly," the Quincy replied. "There's nothing you can do about it, anyway."

"And why's that?"

Asuma lifted one finger and pointed at the sky. "Look up... And tell me what you see."

Shuhei's mind kicked into overdrive as he attempted to figure out what the man was referring to. He rambled off everything he laid eyes on in quick succession. "The sky, clouds, stars-"

"What else?"

Shuhei gasped. "The moon..."

"Exactly," the Sternritter said. "I draw power from the moon. I am Sternritter L, Asuma Godai: The Lunar." He took a few steps towards the building on which Shuhei stood upon. "And with the moon full, like it is, I'm able to reach my strongest."

Asuma vanished and appeared behind Shuhei.

"It may take me a bit of time to absorb the necessary energy," he said, prompting Shuhei to turn around as strike out at him. He blocked with his forearm and continued. "But at the moment, you'll be dead in... Five minutes?"

* * *

Momo Hinamori, Lieutenant of the Fifth Division raised her Zanpakuto to block the strike aimed at her. Her blade grated against the weapon of her opponent, sending sparks flickering through the air.

Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) grinned wildly and forced the Shinigami Lieutenant back. Lifted from the floor, Momo flew through the air and landed atop a nearby building.

Chuckling slightly, Jamina slung her weapon over one shoulder. She wielded a huge hypodermic needle as long as she was tall.

"This is fun, isn't it?" the pink-haired Quincy grinned.

_Fun?_ Momo thought. _This isn't fun... This is a slaughter._

Momo allowed her eyes to briefly flick over the floor surrounding the Sternritter. Scattered around were the bodies of at least two dozen unseated Soul Reapers. Blood pooled on the floor and lapped at the sides of Jamina's shoes.

Jamina kicked off of the ground so hard that the street cracked underfoot. The giant syringe swung through the air in a slashing motion towards the Vice Captain. As blade and medical instrument clashed once again, Jamina's deep red eyes twisted in amusement and her smile widened.

The two girls engaged in a flurry of swipes and strokes before locking blades once again.

"You're pretty fast," Jamina said, mildly impressed.

Momo ignored the statement. "Snap! Tobiume!" Several hinged appendages sprung up along the length of her blade. An explosion of fire tore through the air, flinging the Sternritter backwards.

Jamina flipped backwards landed on the street. "Wow, that was-" Her sentence was cut short, as her foot found a patch of ice. Slipping on the frozen water, Jamina cried out and fell face first into the snow.

The Shinimagi Lieutenant loosened her guard and broke into a dumbfounded expression. She watched the Sternritter cry out and begin to blush furiously.

Momo blinked twice. "Did... That just happen?"

* * *

Marechiyo Omaeda (Lieutenant of Squad Two) moved slowly. He was in his family home when the Silbern had overtaken the Seireitei. After making sure that his sister was safe, he had ventured forth into the maze of snowy white streets.

_Why did this have to happen when Captain Sui-Feng was away training... I'm not suited to this kind of situation!_

The rotund Lieutenant took a deep breath and calmed himself. He remembered the last invasion. Other than the Head Captain, his Captain was the only one that managed to kill an enemy soldier.

_That means I must be able to win... I mean, I've had the same training..._

The soles of his shoes crunched against the snow, sinking down. Omaeda made as little noise as was humanly possible. Despite his size, his training in the Stealth Force was evident.

It was a shame that his enemy was more than perceptive enough to discover him.

Balder Blitzkrieg (Sternritter W) was laying atop a building several streets over. Extending over the edge of the roof was the barrel of a gun. Mounted on the top was a large scope. Balder held the white reishi weapon and aimed slowly at the Assistant Captain.

The Sternritter took a deep breath. The small shot of reishi tore through the air and ripped through Omaeda's ear. Blood flew into the air and spattered into the snow.

Omaeda's hand lurched upwards and clasped his wound. Blood pooled in his palm and began to seep through his fingers. He let out a hoarse cry of pain.

Another electric blue shot of reishi cut through the air again, blasting off two of the Lieutenant's fingers.

As Omaeda clasped his injured had, a third projectile of spirit energy hit him in the left leg, taking out his kneecap. His large form crashed to the floor, his leg giving way under his own weight.

Balder appeared in fromt of the downed Lieutenant, having dispersed his reishi gun. The light of the moon shone from his dark skin. He wore a version of the Sternritter uniform, decorated with white camouflage patterns.

The Sternritter broke into a smug grin. "That looks like it hurts a lot."

Realising that in his pain he had forgotten to mind his surroundings, Omaeda attempted to run. Balder, however, had other plans. Stomping down, he trapped Omaeda's injured leg beneath his large military boot.

"Now you wouldn't be trying t' run away, would'ya?" he chuckled.

Omaeda glared up at him, peering through the bloodspatter across the side of his face. The Lieutenant gritted his teeth; his hand nervously moving over the floor in an attempt to locate his dropped Zanpakuto.

"Desert Eagle," Balder muttered. A handgun materialised in his hand. With no hesitation whatsoever, the towering Quincy shot a bulled through Omaeda's other hand. "Reaching for your Zanpakuto? Not smart. You keep this up and you're gonna die nice and slow. Tell me where your Captain is an' I'll make it quick."

"You think I'm the kind of person that would sell out my Captain?" Omaeda said, forcefully.

Balder shot him through the foot. "Second chance." He cocked his head to the side and scratched at his goatee beard. "After this, you got one more."

"You... Didn't let me finish..." Omaeda ground out from between his teeth. "You think I'm the kind of person that would sell out my Captain? You're right; I am. I would tell you if I knew... But I don't know." He drew air in through his teeth. "She didn't tell me where she went."

The Sternritter squinted his eyes. "Second chance gone." He put a reishi bullet in the Lieutenant's uninjured kneecap. "One more."

"I'm telling you I don't know!" Omaeda shouted, in pain.

"Three strikes," Balder said. The gun in his hand vanished. "M67 Frag." Replacing the gun, a hand grenade appeared in his hand. Balder pulled the pin and dropped it on the floor. "You're out."

As the Quincy began to retreat, Omaeda hurriedly crouched down and attempted to pick up the grenade. The device fumbled and slipped through his injured and bloody hands.

Terror coursed through his veins, only fuelling his panicked mistakes.

_I'm going to die..._

Something suddenly rushed past Omaeda at high speed. Wind tore through the street and the grenade was scooped from his broken hands.

Balder half turned back as he sensed the rapidly approaching Reiatsu. He moved far too slow to counter the blow that struck him across the face. Lifted up into the air, by the force, his eyes placed a small object following his path of movement. His own grenade.

"Uriel!" Balder shouted, suddenly.

Wings of light, in the shape of a fighter jet, formed from Reishi appeared on his back. Balder accelerated, just about managing to escape the blast radius.

Touching down, further down the street, Balder dispersed his wings and halo. Removing his cloak, he flung his cloak from his body and narrowed his eyes discerningly.

"That must be what Urahara called Vollständig," Captain Sui-Feng said, landing on the ground several feet away from him. "For an instant your speed and Reiatsu both shot up."

"Stoner AR-15! HK416 Assault rifle!" Balder shouted, summoning two machine guns into his hands. The huge man began to launch round after round of luminous blue ammunition at the female Captain.

Leaping out of the way, Sui-Feng dodged the onslaught of bullets and diving around a corner. Kicking off from the ground, she took to the air. Weaving out of the way of the shots, a typhoon whipped around her body, propelling her at high speed.

As Balder unloaded magazine after magazine at the Shinigami Captain, he eyed her airborne form. She was swathed in a cyclone of air, launching her through the sky.

"What is that...?" he muttered to himself. "It's not her Bankai, I know that much..."

"I see you're confused," Sui-Feng laughed, continuing to dart through the sky. "Haven't you heard of Shunko?"

"Mixing Kido with Hakuda?" Balder retorted. "It was in my Daten. But yours is incomplete!"

"Was incomplete," she corrected. "Since the battle with Aizen, I've been perfecting it. Your last invasion was just the push I needed!" Rocketing towards Balder, the whirlwind behind her whipped up a storm. "My Shunko is wind-based! Once it's activated, it rotates infinitely, expending next to none of my Reiatsu."

Sui-Feng closed the distance between the two of them in less than half a second. Rearing up her right shoulder, she lifted her fist.

"Mukyuu Shunko!"

Balder dissipated his machine guns and crossed his arms to block. The Captain's fist slammed into his forearm and flung him backwards. Flung back by the sheer force, the Sternritter felt his ulna crack.

Tumbling head over heels, he ploughed through several buildings before being shrouded in a cloud of dust.

Sui-Feng touched down on the ground; her Shunko still active atop the back of her shoulders. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, at her subordinate, she began to walk towards Omaeda.

"Pick yourself up..." she said, slowly. "You need to find a member of the Fourth Division and heal. You're going to be needed in the battles ahead."

"Y... Yes sir..." Omaeda said, attempting to shift his position so that he could return to his feet.

_She's amazing..._ he thought, watching his Captain's graceful, yet strong movements. _She's killed two Sternritter already. And she's perfected her Shunko..._

"AGM-114 Hellfire missiles!" suddenly shouted a deep, booming voice.

Suddenly appearing in the sky of the Silbern, three missiles screamed towards the Captain. The smell of burning fuel filled the air and smoke shot from the tail ends of the artillery.

Sui-Feng kicked off from the ground a split second before the rockets landed. Colliding with the ground, they detonated violently, levelling several buildings and tearing up the street.

"AIM-120 AMRAAM!"

Two more rockets blasted through the skies of the Silbern at the airborne Captain. Ducking and dodging, the whirlwind of Sui-Feng's Shunko propelled her away from the fire of the previous explosions and out of the path of the new rockets.

However, far from missing, the missiles turned midair and homed in on the Captain.

"Tch..." she tutted between her teeth, weaving and spiralling out of the way. _So they follow me wherever I go?_

While Sui-Feng was busy avoiding the missiles, she paid little mind to the Sternritter. Too late did she realise the beacon of light erupting from the ground.

Once again, Balder was swathed in white light. Fighter jet wings glowed ominously from his back and a halo in the shape of a Quincy Zeichen hovered atop his bald head. This time, however, numerous belts of glowing blue bullets covered his form. His arms bore numerous small rockets hovering around his wrists.

"**Uriel; Soldier of God.**"

Utilising the tracking missiles as a distraction, the Sternritter began to bombard the Shinigami Captain with the numerous smaller rockets affixed to his wrists.

Explosions cracked through the night and shockwaves rippled into buildings. All the while, Balder began to back away from the scene, still launching artillery.

"Mukyuu Shunko?!" he laughed. "If this is all there is to it, I'm severely disappointed! I've already analysed your technique! You're fast, yes, but if you can't get in range it's useless!"

_He's backing away,_ Sui-Feng thought to herself. _I know from experience that he's slow and not very mobile. That must be his strategy. Trap me in a barrage of explosions and wear me down._

She began to drop to the floor.

_I'll come at him from below. I'm faster if my feet can gain traction on the ground; I'll close the distance before those rockets can hit me._

Balder broke into a grin. "Land mines!"

Sui-Feng's foot came into contact with something hard and metallic. No sooner had she realised this, the object exploded violently.

The left leg of her Shihakusho was burnt away by the blast, leaving her toned flesh bare to the elements. She was scorched up the skin of her calf.

During the brief interval of the mine explosion, two small rockets managed to catch up to her and detonate against her back. While the cyclone was able to diffuse some of the damage, she was still flung through the air like a rag doll.

"Struggle all you want," Balder chuckled, continuing to pepper the scenery with blasts. "If you can't get in close, you can't use your Shunko, or your Death in Two Steps!"

As one of the AMRAAMs exploded, a massive shockwave rippled towards him.

"I can create any weapon I want, infinitely, as long as I can imagine it!" He began to laugh. "I'm Balder Blitzkrieg! The Warlord!"


	25. Sword

**Chapter 25: Sword (卍解)**

Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C)'s blade grated against an unseen force. Echoes of reishi rebounded back upon her and forced her attack back. A faint green light flickered through the air in a wide sheet, between herself and the Head Captain.

"A barrier...?" she muttered to herself.

"And a strong one at that!" Shunsui Kyoraku grinned. "Kido is Nanao-chan here's specialty." He cooed and leaned in close to his Lieutenant, pursing his lips.

Ignoring her superior, Nanao Ise maintained a flat expression behind her frameless glasses. "After your last invasion, I was able to study traces of Quincy Reiatsu. From those samples, I was able to devise a defensive Kido, specifically designed to counter Quincys."

"Impressive," Lenora said, taking a step back and dispersing her blade. "But I have a question." Her full red lips twisted into a smile, and her blue eyes glittered. "Did you teach this technique to any of your fellow Soul Reapers?"

No sooner had she said this, the numerous explosions of Balder's onslaught lit up the night horizon. Light caught Kyoraku's back and threw shadow across Lenora.

The Soldat Grand Mistress chuckled. "It appears you didn't."

* * *

Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) bobbed and weaved out of the way of Ikkaku's numerous thrusts and swipes.

_That girly man over there is dangerous,_ she thought, eyeing Yumichika through an emeral green eye. _The bald one is strong, but not too bright. I can deal with that... But the tactical mind on this guy._

Green light from Kido flashed through the air at Tomoko's head. Hurriedly ducking, she avoided the shot, but moved into the path of an upward swing from Ikkaku.

_Damn him!_

Her blood vessels on her face glowed blue, just as the spear tip caught her across the nose. Sparks flew from the back of the blade.

_Fighting them both at the same time was a mistake. One keeps me distracted while the other exploits any opening. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they were Captain-class. The way they work together is that good... I don't even have a chance to fight back. Without using Blut Arterie, my attacks aren't strong enough to do serious damage, but if I stop using Blut Vene they'll actually be able to hurt me._

Tomoko had long since discarded her reishi rifle. If she wasn't able to gain some distance, using it would have been pointless.

Snapping her fingers, white lightning flickered up from her hand, and a small explosion cracked through the air, right in front of Ikkaku's face. While not strong enough to injure him, it was enough to get him to back off somewhat.

The Sternritter felt heat bubble through her abdomen. _Shit... If I can't concentrate, my Schrift is too difficult to control. And the more I use it, the more likely I am to overheat._

Ikkaku moved back in to take another slash at her.

On impulse, Tomoko dispersed Blut Vene and switched her reishi stream to the offensive. Thrusting her hand out, she allowed the tip of the weapon to pierce through her palm. Clenching her fist down, she grasped the bloody pole and slammed her free fist into the Third Seat's face.

Flung backwards by the force of the punch, Ikkaku crashed through a nearby building. Stunned by the sudden attack, he had released his grip on Hozukimaru, allowing Tomoko to keep hold of it.

Tomoko broke into a wide grin. Wrenching the bloody weapon from her hand, the Sternritter turned her attention towards Yumichika and threw it at him, like a javelin.

Narrowly dodging, Yumichika lifted his head and looked at his adversary. Her fighting style had completely changed.

"Ive been too focussed on self-preservation," Tomoko said, talking to the Fifth Seat. "But I realised that if I kept that up, I would still end up loosing... So I might as well have a bit of fun. Live up to my Schrift." She reached inside her jacket pocket and pulled out a silver medallion the size of her fist. "We were ordered to use the stolen Bankais to kill their previous owners... I can still do that. I'm just going to use it to kill you first!"

"Oh no..." Yumichika whispered.

"Bankai!" Tomoko grinned. "Kokujou Tengen Myou!"

Rising from the rooftop behind the slight girl, an enormous samurai, at least twelve stories tall, swung an equally huge blade into a tight offensive stance. Tomoko swung one fist down, towards Yumichika. Copying her movement perfectly, the giant's massive sword slammed into the rubble-strewn ground.

Yumichika barely dodged. Launching yet more Kido up at the Sternritter, he gritted his teeth. He was not prepared to fight against a Bankai. Even less so, the sheer power of Captain Komamura's.

The giant sword swept through the night, blocking the luminous blasts, before taking another swing at the effeminate man. Crushing the ground where the Fifth Seat once stood, rubble leapt into the air.

"Where are your tactics from before?" Tomoko laughed, continuing her onslaught.

Ikkaku suddenly appeared to her left. Due to her focus on Yumichika, Tomoko had all but forgotten the Third Seat.

"You knocked out three of my teeth!" he shouted, grinning. "I thought I'd return the favour!"

Ikkaku struck out with his right fist, catching the girl full in the face as she turned to face him. Her head shot back, her neck craning. Behind her, the giant copied her motion seamlessly. Still moving back, the samurai's helmet cracked.

Retaliating with her own right hook, Tomoko's fist slammed into Ikkaku's left arm, sending him flying once more. Luckily, the simultaneous punch of the Bankai only found air.

Bouncing once, Ikkaku rolled and returned to his feet. His legs trembled unsteadily beneath him.

"Ikkaku, you're a genius!" Yumichika said, appearing next to his best friend. In his left hand, he held Hozukimaru; which he offered back to Ikkaku.

Taking back his Zanpakuto, Ikkaku broke into a smug expression. "Of course I am!" He stopped for several seconds and lifted one eyebrow. "How am I a genius again...?"

"Your punch cracked the giant's visor," Yumichika explained.

Ikkaku blinked twice and stared at his friend, confused.

Yumichika groaned. "When you hit her, the giant was damaged as well."

The pair suddenly leapt in opposite directions, avoiding a downward slash from the stolen Bankai. Dust and fragments of rock blew into the air.

"That means if we attack the Bankai-!" Yumichika shouted, over the attack.

"She's going to feel it as well!" Ikkaku completed, finally realising the plan. He broke into a psychotic grin.

They continued to dodge slashes from the humongous sword, and exchanged understanding glances.

Yumichika's feathery black hair was whipping around his face as he moved. "The one main disadvantage this Bankai has is how slow it is!" he called out. "Exploit that! All we need is one clean shot! She can't focus on two of us at once; move to different sides, and whoever she ignores, attack from the blind spot!"

"I can hear every word you're saying," Tomoko laughed, directing the Bankai to take another swipe at the men. "That won't work on me!"

Jumping over the attack, the two men began to run in separate directions. Taking up positions either side of the Sternritter, they began to dip in and slash at the girl. Blocking the attacks with her Blut-enhanced arms, Tomoko kept her eyes on both Shinigami, as closely as she could. Every so often, she would attack with the giant, alternating between the pair, as her target.

Soon, the female Quincy had gotten into a rhythm. Keeping up her defense, she waited for the perfect time to strike.

_The prettyboy is slightly slower than baldy over there,_ she thought. _And his footwork lags when he retreats. I'll wait for him to attack, then retaliate in the instant he backs off._

Yumichika leapt in and slashed at her with the multiple blades of Fujikujaku. Tomoko blocked the attack with her left forearm and readied her right hand. Just as the Fifth Seat stepped back, she struck out with the sword of the giant.

Leaping over the blade, Yumichika landed on the back of the behemoth's hand and began to run up its arm.

Tomoko smirked and swung her left hand over the top of her right arm in a swatting motion. The palm of the giant came to meet Yumichika full-force, slamming into his side and catapulting him through the night sky.

"Gotcha," she chuckled.

"Thanks Yumichika," Ikkaku said. "Good distraction."

Tomoko whirled around to see the Third Seat airborne. His spear was raised and pointed ahead of him. Thrusting out, the tip of his Zanpakuto plunged into the visor of the giant.

Screaming, Tomoko fell back and clasped her face. Blood poured down her cheek, as her left eye was ruptured. "YOU FUCKER!"

* * *

"Looks like Tomoko's having a hard time..." Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) said, cupping his chin in his hands. He was sat on the edge of a building, with his elbows propped up on his knees. Beneath him, his feet were dangling into the air.

In the distance, in spite of the darkness, he could see the gigantic form of Tomoko's stolen Bankai.

"You want to go and help her?" Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) asked, irritated. He turned and looked down his comrade from his vantage point atop a spire. The grey-haired man was dangling from the point of the tower, while his left hand held onto a weather vane, and his feet were planted into the wall.

"She's nice enough," Onmar muttered. "Keeps me warm when I ask her to... But do I really want to put myself in danger just for that?"

"You're such an asshole," Sylvanus sighed, dropping down onto the roof. "You're the last one who should be complaining about putting yourself in danger."

"Well then why don't you go?" Onmar muttered.

"Because I am supposed to be on lookout duty," came the irritated reply. "Incase anyone outside of the Seireitei tries to get in and interfere." Sylvanus glanced over at Tomoko's battlefield, as he felt out the situation. Her Reiatsu was distorted and unstable. She was probably injured. "But it seems... That since you couldn't give less of a shit about your comrades, I'm going to have to help her. I don't want to see any of my friends die."

"Honourable," Onmar said, glancing up through his lime green eyes at Sylvanus, who was now stood on the edge of the building.

"No," he replied. "Not honourable. Decent."

Sylvanus reached up and toyed with the silver necklace that he always wore. Gripping one of the seven points of the necklace between his finger and thumb, he snapped it off.

All of a sudden, fierce wind ripped through the air around Sylvanus. Two crossed rings of circulating air whipped around his body, between his shoulders and his hips. Kicking off from the ground, he took to the air and screamed towards Tomoko's battlefield.

* * *

Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi held a tight grip on his Zanpakuto and dodged the repeated arrows shot by his opponent.

Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) was laughing to himself as he launched projectiles at the Captain. "Is that all you have? I think you're even slower than you were last time we fought."

In spite of his goading and gloating, Legion's hand was shaking. Spasms were shooting up his whole arm.

Raising one hand, the elderly Quincy snapped his fingers.

White flashed through Rose's vision. Soon, he was confronted by overwhelming heat.

Rose had no idea what was going on. As opposed to the white scenery of the Quincy city, he was surrounded by a never ending desert, extending as far as the eye could see in all directions. Waves of heat shimmered through the air, distorting the Captain's vision. Sweat dripped from every pore and soaked into his Shihakusho. It felt like his lungs were on fire.

"Like it?" Legion smirked, sweeping his arm around in a wide arc. His tattered and torn cloak billowed behind him. "This is a personal favourite of mine. The Sahara Desert."

"What are you...?" Rose gasped, fighting for breath.

"Welcome to my memories," the Sternritter continued. "This was... What... 1984?" He grinned, his yellowed teeth coming into view. "That fatigue you're feeling is what I felt when I traversed this desert. My Schrift is J for The Journey. You will experience my lifetime of travelling in mere minutes."

The surroundings changed again. Humid air met the Captain full force. Around him, numerous trees and fauna sprang up from the ground. The hum of insect wings filled the air.

Legion launched a series of arrows at Rose. Ducking and dodging, the Shinigami gasped for air. One shot caught him across the left arm.

"You're handling the rainforest better than I'd thought you would," Legion chuckled. He failed to notice his arm spasming more aggressively. His left cheek began to twitch. "But I think the time for games is over..."

Stuffing his hand inside his tattered uniform, Legion pulled out a scuffed silver medallion. Light glinted from it, throwing strange shapes across his hand.

"We were ordered to finish you off with your own Bankais," he explained, his sickly yellow eyes glowing. "I think it's rather fitting... Bankai: Kinshara Butōdan."

Silver wires shot into the air, around the Quincy, spiralling and contorting until settling into the shape of a pair of gigantic floating hands; one holding a conductor's baton. All around Legion, more wire whipped up and formed into twelve humanoid shapes, all bearing metallic flower petals for faces.

Music filled the air.

Rose just about realised what was happening. Hurriedly pulling his hands up either side of his head, he readied himself so that he could rupture his own eardrums. If the Quincy utilised his Bankai's ability of tangible illusions on top of the effects of his Schrift, he would be finished.

However, the inevitable attack from his stolen Bankai never came to be.

Legion Longstride let out a scream so bloodcurdling that it chilled Rose to his very core. All around him, the environment began to melt, revealing the white buildings of the Silbern. The wire puppets of the Bankai's dance troupe collapsed and unravelled.

Clawing at his throat, the Sternritter gasped for air. Blood spewed from his nose and eyes, pouring down his face. Bloody foam frothed up in the corners of his mouth and clung to his long matted beard. Veins rose to the surface all over his body and turned black.

Rose, still struggling to breathe and sweating profusely, broke into a confused expression.

Rot was starting to spread over the Legion's skin. It looked as if he was beginning to decompose, while still alive.

"WHAT...! IS THIS?!" Legion screamed, his legs giving way beneath him. Slamming into the floor, he began to writhe and thrash. "It... Feels like... HOLLOW POISONING!"

Rose took a step forwards and looked down at his sword. He broke into a smile. "Welcome back, Kinshara." Looking at the dying Quincy, the Captain came to a realisation. "It looks like my Bankai was too much for you to handle." He brought his hand up to his face and pulled it down. Manifesting over his face, a pure white hollow mask eclipsed his features. "I guess no-one told you that I was part hollow."

Legion's eyes opened so wide they formed perfect circles, before rolling back in his head.

Rose lifted his blade and peered through the eye holes of his mask. "Shame on you for not doing your homework."

Blood flew into the air.

* * *

Ohetsu Nimaya repeated slammed his forging hammer into the white hot metal of the sword. He had been busy crafting the Asauchi into Ichigo's new blade for well over an hour.

"Did'ya notice it, Ichigo-chan~?" Nimaya asked the orange-haired boy, without taking his eyes off of the glowing metal in front of him. "The Asauchi turned snow white when ya' touched it... Jus' like yer inner Hollow."

Ichigo, who had been stood watching, opened his eyes wide.

"Ya' dig it now?" Nimaya continued. "This sexy bastard here is ya' inner Hollow. I'm makin' him this way t' draw out yer true Zanpakuto."

"Then..."

"Bingo, Ichigo-chan." Nimaya broke into a strangely stoic expression. "Yer inner Hollow is ya' Zanpakuto. When the Hollow Aizen made infected ya' mother, and was passed to ya' it merged with ya' Shinigami powers." He eyes Ichigo. "I'm sure ya' figured it out now. That other dude in there is fakin' the funk. This whole time, he's been pretending t' be Zangetsu."

Ichigo's stomach twisted into a knot. His world inverted and he soon found himself stood on the side of a skyscraper, staring off into a blue expanse.

Hovering in front of him, clad in his usual tattered black cloak, was Zangetsu.

**"Ichigo-chan," **Nimaya's disembodied voice said. **"Who's that?"**

"What are you talking about?" he retorted. "That's Zan-"

**"That ain't Zangetsu,"** Nimaya interjected.** "Come on. Ya' must have connected the dots by now. Don't he look awfully familiar? Like a certain someone that's turned the Soul Society upside down?"**

Ichigo's eyes widened.

**"That there..." **Nimaya said. **"Is Yhwach, as he was a thousand years ago."**


	26. The Fundamental Virulence

**Chapter 26: The Fundamental Virulence**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was staring intently at one of the numerous monitors that inhabited his (literally) glowing beacon of science.

The spy bacteria that he had infected all of the members of the Gotei Thirteen with we're practically paying for themselves. Over the course of the invasion, he had gathered data of immeasurable worth. Most notably was that of the fight between Captain Ōtoribashi and Legion Longstride.

"Now that is interesting..." he chuckled, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

**"And what might that be?"** asked a disembodied voice.

"The manner of which the Sternritter was defeated," Mayuri replied. "It may hold a clue as to how the Bankais could be re-" He stopped short, when he realised just who's voice he was talking to.

**"Splendid!"** exclaimed Kisuke Urahara's voice. **"If not a bit slow. After analysing the medallion I retrieved following Kurosaki-Kun's battle, and interrogating my Sternritter captive, I've already come up with a method to regain the Bankai!" **His voice was musical and lighthearted.

"Wow, Kisuke Urahara is really amazing..." whispered a nearby member of the Research and Development institute, as he overheard the conversation. He was soon hurriedly shushed by his comrades, in hopes that the Captain had not heard him.

Mayuri ignored his statement. "How are you doing that?" he asked, his yellow eyes moving curiously.

**"Oh! I implanted a communications device in your ear a while back! I forget when or how, but regardless, it's pretty useful, isn't it?"**

"How dare you," Mayuri said in response. "Implanting something of this nature without my permission." Lifting his finger, he placed it over the side of his luminescent headdress.

**"Wait, don't cut it off!"** Urahara's voice cried. **"I've got important information about the enemy!"**

"Goodbye." Mayuri pulled a disinterested expression as he plunged his finger through his headdress and into his ear.

**"No! Wait! St-!"**

"Got youuuu~!" Urahara popped out of a small Senkaimon, behind the Twelfth Division Captain. "I was waiting in the Dangai for the perfect moment to pop out!"

Mayuri was so outraged that his expression looped right back around to completely dumbfounded.

Urahara stepped out of the Dangai portal and snapped the cell phone that he held in his hand closed. Beneath the shadow cast by his hat, he broke into a serious expression. "But back to more urgent matters... I know how we can prevent the theft of Bankais, and how to return those that were stolen." He glanced over his shoulder at the portal. "And I've brought with me some reinforcements."

* * *

Yumichika Ayasegawa groaned in pain. The force that the Bankai had struck him with was nothing to be sniffed at. He regretted putting himself out in the open, to be used as bait.

His entire right arm had been crushed, the bones inside little more than chips and fragments. Four of his ribs were broken; two of which were pressing uncomfortably into his right lung. The entire right hand side of his Shihakusho was soaked in blood.

He couldn't even hold his Zanpakuto anymore.

_At least... Ikkaku managed to get her,_ he thought. _Now all I need to do is stay under the radar, until I find a member of Squad Four to heal me._

"Look at what we have here," said a young, girlish voice.

Yumichika felt his heart lurch. If the voice belonged to an enemy, given the state he was in, he would be finished.

Aya Herz (Sternritter S) walked around the corner of a nearby building. The steel heels of her shoes tapped rhythmically against the ground. Following closely behind her, was Knight.

_No way...! Two of them?!_

"I couldn't be bothered to go out and look for someone to fight," Aya said, her glossy black hair fluttering behind her as she walked. "So I just decided to sit back... And what do you know, a Soul Reaper falls right into my lap."

"Young Miss," Knight said, tilting his helmet-clad head down towards her. "This man is far too badly injured to be fought fairly."

"Then I won't fight him," Aya sighed. "I'll just put him out of his misery." Her deep purple eyes narrowed. "But first..."

Yumichika's head fell back. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his breathi grew more and more ragged. He knew that he would not be able to fight back, in the state that he was in. Closing his eyes, he resigned himself to death.

"What's your favourite colour?" Aya asked, cheerfully. She tilted her head to the side and smiled.

Opening one eye, Yumichika's mouth hung open in dismay.

Aya walked closer and crouched down in the crater, in front of him. Her white miniskirt rose up her thighs and her chin tucked down inside the hem of her light blue turtleneck, that she wore under her white military jacket. Smiling slightly, she leaned in towards the crippled Shinigami. "What. Is. Your. Favourite. Colour?" she asked, playfully. Every word was spoken individually, and emphasised.

Yumichika began to stammer. He knew that the question's answer would not result in something as trivial as he would usually expect. His voice caught in his throat as he began to hurriedly debate with himself over what he should answer. His other eye opened, so that he was staring wide-eyed at the girl.

Aya suddenly stopped leaning towards him and broke into a slight smile. Her eyes began to sparkle. "You have really pretty eyes."

"W-wisteria," Yumichika suddenly blurted out.

"A shade of purple!" Aya exclaimed, beaming. "I love purple!" She lifted one hand and pointed at her face. "Like my eyes. See?" She turned her gloved finger towards the Shinigami. "And yours! We match!"

Yumichika blinked and stared at the young girl, unable to understand what was happening.

"I did want to impress some of the others, by killing a Seated Officer," she explained, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side, sighing. "But you have good taste. I can't kill someone who likes the same things as me! That's too cruel."

The Fifth Seat was at a loss for words.

Aya stood back up and turned back towards her armour-clad escort. "Make sure you stay out of sight. I heard someone say that Kirmie was lurking around west of here, so if I were you, I'd go east."

The young girl and the armoured giant disappeared around the street corner they had come from. Yumichika was left laying in the crater, thanking the Soul King for his good luck.

Knight looked down at the girl through the visor of his helmet. "That was very honourable of you, Miss Herz."

"Thanks," she replied, looking up at him. Aya pulled an uncertain expression. "You're going to go now, aren't you?"

Knight had been acting strange ever since the second invasion had begun. He had been listless and distracted; as if his mind were elsewhere.

"I'm sorry, Miss," Knight said, solemnly. "But His Majesty has ordered us to dispatch the enemy as quickly as possible... Up until now, I have stayed by your side and protected you, in the name of chivalry, however... I cannot in good conscience engage the enemy with you at my side. Such an action would put you in danger." He placed his hand on the young girl's shoulder, gently. "So the safest option is to leave you in a safe area."

Aya tucked in her bottom lip and looked up at Knight. "Okay..." she sighed. "Just be back soon, okay. If... If you're gone too long, I'm going to worry."

"Of course m'lady," Knight said, bowing.

Smiling, Aya curtsied.

As she returned to her standing position, Knight turned and began to walk into the depths of the Silbern. Aya put her hands into the pockets of her jacket. She felt her finger touch smooth fabric. Her body jolted as she came to a sudden realisation.

Running after Knight, Aya called for him to stop. Once she had caught up to him, she presented the giant with her pocket handkerchief. "Sir Knight," she smiled. "I pray that you take this favour as a token of my esteem."

If Aya could have seen behind her escort's helmet, he would have been smiling. Knight bent down and took the handkerchief. "It would be an honour, Miss Herz."

* * *

"Pinpoint the locations of all Captains and Vice Captains!" Akon shouted, over his shoulder at the other members of the Research and Development Division. "Hiyosu, set up a Tenteikura!" He was tapping hurriedly against the glowing white keyboard in front of him.

"On it!" Hiyosu replied, beginning to cast the Kido.

"Everyone else!" Akon continued. "Work on releasing all of the remaining modified bugs! Map out the environment!"

Behind them all, Urahara was busy explaining his new invention to Mayuri.

"Shineiyaku," he said, opening a leather bag that he had withdrawn from his cloak. Inside the pouch were at least two dozen black pills, resembling hard candy. "With these, we can completely prevent the theft of Bankais, as well as return the Bankais that have already been stolen."

"So what, pray tell, is your hypothesis?" Mayuri asked, attempting to conceal his disgust for the man in front of him.

"I had an inkling about the method of prevention when I first began my interrogation of Mr DaVinci," Urahara explained. "Through him, I learned that our enemy had already invaded and overtaken Hueco Mundo. And yet, when I ventured there to confirm this news, I discovered a very strange thing. Not a single one of the Arrancar had their Resurreccion stolen." His eyes narrowed. "As I'm sure you're aware, the nature of the Resurreccion makes it essentially the same as a Bankai. So why hadn't they been taken? It wasn't that they had no interest in Arrancar. Rather the opposite; they drafted many of them into their army to use as soldiers... So that leaves two reasons open, as to why the Resurreccion were not stolen."

"Either they couldn't steal them, or it would be detrimental to do so," Mayuri said, completing Urahara's train of thought.

"Precisely." Urahara broke into a grin. "And thanks to Captain Ōtoribashi, we have the final piece of the puzzle."

"All soldiers of Lieutenant rank and up have been pinpointed inside and outside of the Seireitei!" Akon called over his shoulder.

"Excellent," Urahara said, eyeing the bag of pills in his hand.

* * *

Sui-Feng cried out in pain as an explosion to her left shattered her elbow.

Most of her Shihakusho had been burnt from her body, and the blood that spewed from her open wounds was dried into her skin; superheated by the numerous blasts that assaulted her. The left side of her face was so swollen and charred that her eye was closed. The skin of her back was mottled and scorched, as was her exposed right leg.

Balder maintained his distance, continuously launching artillery at the Captain. Light danced across his dark skin, thrown forth by the great blaze his weaponry had set upon the buildings.

_I need to get a clean hit on him!_ Sui-Feng thought, as she was flung around like a rag doll by the explosions. _I'm getting blown to death here... If only I could use my Bankai!_

**_Ahem..._** suddenly echoed a voice inside her head. **_Greetings to all Captains of the Gotei Thirteen, and hello to all you Lieutenants out there, as well! My name is Kisuke Urahara! There are probably some of you out there who don't know me, but fear not, I'll make the introductions once things have... calmed down a bit._**

Distracted by the sudden appearance of Urahara's voice, Sui-Feng felt a blow against her stomach. A reishi missile had caught her full on in the gut. Exploding violently, the projectile sent her hurtling through the air, and crashing into the ground below.

The Captain lifted her head, her eyes losing focus and a haze gripping her mind. Everything was beginning to grow muffled and fuzzy.

_That stupid idiot... Why would he... Interrupt everyone's battles like this?_

**_This is a very exciting time!_** the voice continued. **_I've managed to develop a method of regaining lost Bankais! And to top it off, it can also be used to prevent the theft of Bankais as well. Aren't I just the most resourceful little genius?_**

"W-what...?" Sui-Feng gasped, through bloodied and burnt lips.

**_Along with this transmission, I've sent you all a little black pill. All you need to do is touch it, and it will take effect. You can use anything you want; your hand, your foot, your sword, even your-!_**

**_Stop that right now!_** suddenly shouted Akon's voice, over the Tenteikura.

Sui-Feng ignored the rest of the comical arguing that was filling her head. Her entire attention, half-conscious as it was, was focussed on a small black object that had just appeared next to her.

Reaching out, her arm trembled, dripping blood onto the ground around her. Just as the strength left her shoulder, her hand dropped and touched the pill. Immediately, the medication was drawn into her body, invading her system. She could feel it grafting onto her soul.

"What's that?!" Balder laughed, launching another round of rockets at the Captain. "Some new toy to try and defeat me?!"

"No..." Sui-Feng said, weakly, as the attacks continued to scream towards her. "An old toy that I've dug out just for you... Bankai: Jakuhō Raikōben!"

Just as her Bankai manifested, the missiles collided with the ground around her, eclipsing her form in fire.

* * *

"The method is very simple..." Urahara explained, directing his attention towards Mayuri and Akon. "Quincys have no natural defences against Hollows. It's for that reason that they mercilessly hunt them like they do... One bite is enough to infect a Quincy, and begin to break down their cells. So if we insert a minuscule fragment of Hollow Reiatsu into the Captain's Bankais, no matter how small, the very nature of it will become like poison to the Quincys."

"That's why the Sternritter who stole Captain Rose's Bankai reacted to its activation the way he did," Mayuri continued. "Because Urahara's pills are providing a sudden jolt of Hollow Reiatsu, it disrupts the connection to the Quincys' medallion. However in Rose's case, the Hollow Reiatsu was already a part of his Bankai... That is why it was slowly poisoning the Quincy who stole it. And it all came to a head when he activated the stolen Bankai."

"And now that they know that the Bankais contain a little bit of Hollow-seasoning," Urahara grinned. "They won't be stealing them anymore."

* * *

Sui-Feng found herself atop a nearby building, out of range of the blast. Omaeda held her in a clumsy embrace with his shattered hands. He had pulled her out of the way of the last attack, the split second before it had found its mark.

She smiled weakly. "Hold me steady... The recoil on this is... a bit of a bitch..."

Without another word, Sui-Feng lifted her Bankai and took aim at the Quincy. The golden structure caught the light of the moon above and flames below her, shining and shimmering.

As the body of the Bankai shot from its sheath, it broke the sound barrier, leaving a sonicboom trailing in its wake. Sui-Feng and Omaeda were both swept from the roof and flung through the air.

Balder Blitzkrieg caught sight of the attack searing through the night towards him, and opened his eyes wide in horror.

Light tore through the Silbern. Windows were shattered and eardrums of anyone within a half mile radius were blown out.


	27. Toten Engels

**Chapter 27: Toten Engels** • **死んだ 天使**

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) was laying on his back, gazing at the night sky. He yawned and scratched the side of his head. Pale eyes moved lazily and he sighed deeply.

On the horizon, he could see Kokujo Tengen Myou crumble. He sensed the Bankai's Reiatsu dispersing skyward and returning to its original owner.

"Those idiots..." he muttered. "They should have killed the Bankai's owners in the first invasion, like I did... That way they wouldn't have lost the power in such a humiliating fashion."

He slowly rose to his feet and began to walk; hands in his pockets. Kicking off from the ground, he leapt to the top of a nearby building and broke into a slight smirk.

"Though... Now that they've lost the Bankai... It means that they can finally use their Vollständig."

* * *

Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) fell to one knee. She felt almost as if a great weight had been dropped on her from above. Behind her, the stolen Bankai crumbled and disappeared.

Ikkaku took a step away from her and watched as she lost control of the Bankai. Tomoko was still holding her punctured eye; blood dripping between her fingers.

"Shit..." she hissed, gritting her teeth and glaring through her one good eye at the Third Seat. "I am done with this..." Tomoko ground out between her teeth, taking a step forwards and removing her hand from her damaged eye. "You are so dead."

Unease flooded Ikkaku's system. In spite of losing the stolen Bankai, the Sternritter was acting as if she was going to win. She was too confident.

The buckle of Tomoko's belt, in the shape of a Quincy Zeichen, began to spin. Light shot into the air, in a towering pillar, as she screamed in rage. Ikkaku felt all the airborne reishi in the area get sucked towards the light column.

"Mastema; Divine Chaos!"

Tomoko emerged from the white glare, swathed in jagged, angular wings of reishi. The shape of the wings constantly changed, rippling and distorting. Above her head, an angular star-shaped halo was spinning and rotating rapidly.

Ikkaku gasped and gripped Hozukimaru tightly. _There wasn't a reishi shockwave... But her Reiatsu shot way up. What the hell is going on?_

Tomoko lunged at the Third Seat, at a speed far surpassing anything she had ever displayed before. Breaking through the sound barrier, a shockwave erupted from her body.

Lifting the shaft of his spear, Ikkaku hurriedly attempted to defend against Tomoko's incoming punch. No sooner had he done so, the wood of his Zanpakuto began to freeze; white and blue sparks flying from its surface. Punching clean through the frozen weapon, Tomoko struck him across face and sent him flying, breaking through a dozen buildings in the process.

Tomoko began to laugh, breaking into a wide grin. "Now you're going to find out just how dangerous I can be."

* * *

_Chaos._

_All things in the universe, be they living, inanimate or even metaphysical will always attempt to return to a state of chaos. This phenomenon is known as Entropy._

_Through entropy, substances and objects can equalise thermal dynamic energy with the environment. Depending on the temperature of the environment, this can result in either the heating or freezing of the substance. Entropy can also result in the speeding up, slowing down or even initiation of reactions._

_Theoretically speaking, if an individual were to be able to control entropy, they would be able to remotely influence the above factors._

_By altering the thermal energy and placement of oxygen and methane atoms in the air, one could create spontaneous explosions. By increasing the flow of heat between an object and the environment, they could superheat or rapidly cool the subject. Control of entropy could also result in sudden sudden, uncontrollable electrical discharges, caused by static. Buildings could collapse, holes could open up in the ground, bones could suddenly break._

_Chaos._

* * *

White and blue lightning crackled across the ground. Sinkholes opened up beneath Ikkaku's feet, locking him in place as he attempted to stand. Above him, the ceiling of the building in which he was stood caved and crushed down upon him. All around the area, explosions shook the air in rippling shockwaves.

Simultaneously, shots of laser-like reishi ripped into the rubble, fired from the barrel of the Sternritter's newly-manifested reishi rifle.

Tomoko Stano (The Entropy)'s eyes were wide and twisted with malice.

Blue and orange light tore through the night, flickering and flashing brightly. A deep rumbling cracked across the skyline, eclipsing the female Sternritter's laughter. The sound carried through the Silbern, right into the ears of Silvanus Athala (Sternritter N).

"This is bad..." he whispered to himself. The wind that circled his body sped up, increasing the speed at which he streaked through the sky. "If Tomoko's using her Vollständig, no one is safe... With her powers enhanced like this, she could level the whole Silbern in an hour... Shit."

The lit up sky in front of his airborne form reflected in grey eyes. Gritting his teeth, he continued to accelerate.

"Why are you using your power so much, you idiot?" His clenched fist was trembling and the tendons in his arm rose up. "Don't you know how dangerous this is? If you use it so much, you're going to hurt your comrades... You could overheat and kill yourself!"

As he neared the battlefield, he could make out Tomoko's laughter in between the blasts.

"Come on!" she cried, continuing to launch reishi shots and generate explosions. "What happened to all those good hits you were landing earlier?! Not able to do much without your friend?!"

"Tomoko, stop!" Sylvanus shouted, coming to a stop and hovering midair behind her.

"Shut up!" Tomoko cried in reply. "He's got to die! Look at what he did to my eye!" She lifted her hand and pointed at her face, momentarily, before returning to her onslaught.

"You've got to stop this!" Sylvanus replied. "You're going to overheat; you could die!"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" she scoffed, laughing. "I'll stop once I'm sure he's dead!"

"That's not the only problem!" he replied, shouting over the explosions. "Look at this!" He swept his arm around and indicated the crater that Tomoko was continuing to barrage. "You see what you're doing? This is one massive beacon! And unlike Balder over there, you can't sustain the firepower to hold off another enemy!"

No sooner had he said this, Sylvanus spotted a Shinigami approaching fast from the east. He was wearing a white Haori over his Shihakusho. It was a Captain.

"Yhwach damn it..." Sylvanus hissed. "Tomoko! Let up on your Schrift; I don't want to get caught up in it. If you want to kill him, so be it, but use your Heilig Pfeil! I'll take care of this Captain."

Tomoko tutted, irritated, and bared her teeth. "Fine."

With that the blue and white sparks, tearing across the ground stopped.

Twisting himself midair, Sylvanus allowed the motion of the air spinning around him to propell him down at the approaching Captain. Touching down on the torn up street, he took up a tight combat stance.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you here," he said, locking eyes with his adversary.

Kensei Muguruma, Captain of Squad Nine, halted in his tracks and broke into a smirk. "So you're going to fight me?"

"That's the plan," Sylvanus replied, cracking his knuckles.

In the background, the shot from Sui-Feng's Bankai exploded, lighting up the sky and throwing shadows from the two men across the ground.

* * *

Balder Blitzkrieg (The Warlord) was blown backwards by the shockwave created by Sui-Feng's Bankai. The air-pressure crushed his white wings into his back, preventing him from flying to escape. Crashing into the ground, he tore through the street.

Struggling to sit up, he breathed a sigh of relief. When he failed to register the sound, he realised that his eardrums had burst.

_Thank God I'm still alive... _he thought to himself._ If I hadn't summoned another rocket to counter that attack, I would have been caught up in that explosion. I underestimated her Bankai's firepower big time... If it had exploded any closer I would've been so dead, it's not even funny._

He broke into a wide grin, distorting his goatee.

_But now that you've used up your only shot, it's over... I hope you enjoy this feeling, Captain. Because soon you're going to be dead._

Balder took to the air, and readied his aim at the Captain and her Lieutenant.

"Did... I get him?" Sui-Feng asked, weakly. Her eyes were half closed and her breathing laboured.

"I think so, Captain," Omaeda replied, still holding onto her; cradling her in her arms. "There's no way he could survive a direct hit from your Bankai."

"Then it's a good thing that it wasn't a direct hit!" Balder laughed, pointing his index fingers down towards the pair. "AGM-123 Skipper!"

Two missiles appeared in the air behind the Sternritter and shot downwards at the rooftop. Omaeda's eyes flicked up and caught a glimpse of the attack.

Hurriedly activating Shunpo, he leapt to the next rooftop; still carrying his Captain. He just barely managed to avoid the blast.

"You're faster than I thought you would be," Balder sneered.

"I wouldn't be much of a stealth force member if I wasn't at least this fast," Omaeda huffed, in response.

"I guess not," Balder chuckled. "But good luck getting far with those broken kneecaps. Though, I wonder if you'd be able to dodge if there were more?"

Rockets of various shapes and sizes appeared in the air behind him. They numbered in the dozens; their outlines glinting in the full moon light.

Pointing his finger as if it were a gun, Balder directed the numerous missiles downwards at the Lieutenant and his Captain. All of the buildings in the surrounding area were levelled.

Omaeda kept moving from building to building, in an attempt to escape the blast radiuses of the bombs. Fire leapt into the sky, tongues lapping up at the moon.

"Come on, where's your speed gone?!" Balder laughed, over the explosions.

Dodging and ducking the basts, Omaeda looked down at his Captain. "Captain! Come on, wake up! I know that you just used it, but I need you to use your Bankai again! He won't be expecting another attack!"

"You... Idiot..." she ground out, weakly. "I can't use it again..."

"But you used it twice in the battle in Karakura town!"

"I wasn't as... Badly beaten as I am now... With these injuries it... It could... Kill me...!"

"If you don't use it we're dead anyway!" Omaeda shouted, fear flooding his voice. Another missile exploded behind him, jolting his body forwards.

"I would, but... Can't... Get a clear shot." Sui-Feng winced in pain from her wounds, and peered up at her subordinate through her good eye. "I... Got lucky before."

Three more blasts ripped through the air around the pair, engulfing them in smoke and fire. Omaeda collapsed. Releasing the Captain from his arms, so that he could stop himself from crushing her, his broken hands slammed into the ground.

Losing sight of the pair in the explosions, Balder ceased fire. Peering down into the smoke and the fire, his eyes just about managed to pick out their forms.

_They're further away than I thought... _he mused. _And the angle that they're at is different... Strange. Were they blown further by the explosions?_

Balder noticed something through the grey and black haze. A glint of gold caught his eye.

_That crazy bitch... She's using her Bankai again? Fine. I'll crush it along with her! She won't even get a chance to fire!_

He swung his arm down, directing another bomb at the pair. "T-12 Cloudmaker!"

As he launched the projectile, Balder was suddenly overcome with an intense sense of vertigo. His head felt as if it were spinning on an axis and his stomach lurched up into his chest. The whole world felt as if it had been turned about itself.

"Welcome to the inverted world," suddenly chuckled a nearby voice. "Pretty crazy, isn't it?"

Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad Five, was perched atop a nearby tower, spinning his Zanpakuto around his hand. His broad smile leapt out from his face.

"It's pretty difficult to get the hang of," Shinji explained, as Balder attempted to place himself. "Up, down, side to side, back to front and even your eyesight are all reversed."

"You... Bastard!" Balder shouted, flailing wildly in the middle of the air. Missiles, bombs and rockets fired out in all directions, but none met their mark.

"He's all yours," Shinji chuckled, indicating the female Captain.

Balder realised all too late that Sui-Feng had already fired her Bankai. The golden body slammed into his stomach and carried him through the air at lightning speed.

Screaming in terror, the Quincy's voice was eclipsed as the Bankai detonated. The explosion ripped through the air, the shockwave slamming into Shinji and nearly flinging him from building.

Balder Blitzkrieg (The Warlord) was completely vaporised.

* * *

Shuhei Hisagi struggled to even rise to his knees. The blades that tipped one of his scythes was shattered, and several of his ribs were broken. His collarbones were both cracked and his left arm dislocated.

Asuma Godai (The Lunar) wrung his hand around his wrist and shook his head, removing his long white hair from his face. Ever since the moon had appeared in the sky, he had been growing progressively stronger.

"I'm impressed," Asuma mused, his voice flat. "I assumed that you'd be dead in five minutes... But so far you've lasted twenty."

Shuhei gagged and heaved as he coughed up blood; the red liquid spattering the ground beneath him. His arms were trembling, and his lip quivering.

As Sui-Feng's second Bankai attack cracked through the night sky, Asuma momentarily glanced up at the horizon. "Hm..." he hummed. "Balder is dead... That I did not expect." He looked down at the Lieutenant. "You Shinigami are doing a lot better in this fight than I thought you would."

Shuhei ignored the remark. Instead he lunged at the Sternritter, raising the scythe in his good arm. Asuma turned to the side and grabbed the Soul Reaper's wrist, before lifting his knee and striking him in the gut.

"You can still move," Asuma said in mild surprise, releasing his opponent's wrist as he doubled over from the pain. "Perhaps I've been going too easy on you..."

"You're telling me," Shuhei retorted, weakly. "You haven't even used that Vollständig thing yet..."

"That's not what I'm referring to," the Quincy replied, reaching up and pushing his hair behind his ear. His slit pupils narrowed and he broke into a slight smirk. "The Vollständig grants those chosen the holy wings of angels."

The Sternritter's body suddenly jolted as he kicked Shuhei in the side, sending him flying.

"However I do not need my wings to kill you," Asuma continued. "What I am referring to is not the form of an angel... But that of a monster."


	28. The Blade is

**Chapter 28: The Blade Is...**

_Up until now I've been avoiding having to think about it..._

_No one told me anything about the enemy, so how...? How did I know that he was my main adversary? How did I know that he was the one I had to go after?_

_And why...? Why, when I looked into his eyes did it feel so... Familiar?_

* * *

Rain crashed down on Ichigo's inner world so thick and fast that it drowned out the sound of Ichigo's laboured breathing. His eyes were morphed in horror and his mouth hung open. Distress and shock gripped his face like a vice.

"Why...?" he choked out. "Why did you...?"

Across from him Zangetsu, or rather Yhwach, broke into an expression of sorry. "It's as you were told... I am not Zangetsu..."

Beneath them, the skyscraper crumbled. Water rose up and engulfed the pair, dragging them into its murky depths.

"So what are you?" Ichigo cried out.

"What I am..." he explained. "Is the manifestation of your Quincy abilities... I am Yhwach... And at the same time, I'm not."

"What the hell does that mean?!" Ichigo shouted, fighting against the currents of the water around him. "So what... Are you an enemy? An ally?"

"I am neither... My advise has never led you astray, nor has it ever hurt you. Everything I did, I did to protect you... My only deception was in telling you my name." His eyes narrowed and he appeared close to tears. "Have you not noticed... Every time you were taught the intricacies of your Zanpakuto, every time your life was in danger, when you were unable to control the power of your Bankai... The one responsible for saving you was not me. It was your hollow. Your true Zanpakuto."

Ichigo gasped and swallowed hard as he realised.

"I never wanted you to become a Shinigami..." the spirit continued. "I even went as far as to suppress your powers and become your power source..."

"Why...?" Ichigo gasped.

"Why?" he replied. "Do I really need to explain to you why I wanted to keep you out of harm's way? As a Shinigami you would have suffered, experienced great pain... But, as time passed and you did become a Shinigami, I watched you. You trained hard, gained power... And in spite of the pain and suffering you experienced, you continued down that same path. And I found my heart... Wavering."

The spirit flung open his cape, revealing a sword. Swathed in flame, despite the water engulfing it, it shone like a haunting beacon.

"And far from impeding your progress... I watched you grow and wished for you to get stronger. I found myself helping you... Even if it means doing this."

The spirit began to fade; his body rippling and blowing apart like leaves in the wind.

Ichigo's body locked up. "What are you doing?!" he screamed in horror.

"I'm more than happy to relinquish my hold over you," the fading visage explained. "Ichigo... You have become strong. This entire time, I have watched you as you've grown and become a man... The pride that I feel is indescribable. I feel... At peace."

"Wait! Hold on, Zangetsu!" Ichigo cried, leaping forwards through the water. "I still haven't had a chance to-!"

"Please..." the spirit whispered, cutting the boy off. "Get stronger... And protect yourself... Now that I no longer can..." A tear slipped from the corner of his eye and rolled down his crumbling cheek.

By the time Ichigo had reached him, his form had completely vanished. Now, only the sword remained.

**"Ichigo..." **echoed the spirit's disembodied voice. **"What you have been wielding up until now has only been a fraction of your power. The power that I was unable to suppress. The time has finally come... For you to fight with your own power. Take it. It is yours... That there... Is the real Zangetsu."**

* * *

_You were right..._

_There weren't any lies. Not from you, and not from him._

_In the battle with Kenpachi, you took me under the shadows of the Quincy... You used the blood of a Quincy to stop mine from spilling..._

_You lent me strength..._

_Zangetsu..._

_I'm sure that if I were to say it, you would deny it, but... I believe that both of you... You and him... I'm sure-_

_No._

_I'm certain._

_That you are both Zangetsu._

* * *

Ichigo thrust his hands out into the fire of Nimaya's forge. The heat scorched and seared his skin up both arms and burned away the fabric of his Shihakusho.

"Perfecto," Nimaya said, smirking. "Jus' when I wanted ya' t' stick in a load of your Reiatsu, ya' went ahead and did just that. Ya' went and put the icing on the cake, ya' dig!" His smile widened. "Now go ahead and draw it out Ichigo-chan~! Your very own Zanpakuto!"

Ichigo swung his arms out of the flames, drawing the sword from the furnace. Fire shot outwards in all directions and vaporised the entire reservoir of water. Superheated steam rushed past Nimaya's body in a thick cloud.

A sound like thunder reverberated through the cavernous room. Nimaya was nearly taken off of his feet; his arms flailing up into the air.

Whistling between his teeth, Nimaya lowered his glasses back into place. "Ya' sword was so hot with heat and Reiatsu that it took a whole sea t' cool it; know what I'm sayin'?" He winked through his sunglasses. "Check it out Ichigo-chan~! What's it feel like to be holdin' those Zangetsus?"

Glancing down at his hands, Ichigo laid eyes on a pair of Zanpakuto. Both resembled his former Shikai, only entirely black. The one in his left hand was noticeably shorter than the one in his right.

He could feel them glancing over his shoulders. Zangetsu. Both of them.

"Zangetsu..." he said, whispering to the swords. "I promise I won't ask you to lend me strength anymore... I won't ever ask you to get out of my way. I won't even ask you to fight with me. From now on... I'll fight on my own." He closed his eyes and leaned back. "Thank you, Zangetsu. You've finally made me realise it... You are me."

"Ex-cel-lent!" Nimaya shouted, leaping up behind him and clapping one hand on the orange-haired youth's shoulder. "Now all ya' need is t' make ya' way to Shutara and Oshō's places, and you're set t' head down t' the battle!"

Ichigo's eyes moved quickly to the side, in surprise. "What do you mean, the battle?"

"Whoops!" Nimaya said, putting his hand over his mouth. "Totally wasn't s'post t' tell ya' that... Um, yeah..." He reached up and scratched the side of his head. "The Quincys invaded again about an hour ago. Weren't s'post t' let it slip 'cos you were still in training..."

"How are they doing?" Ichigo asked, slowly.

"Better," Nimaya answered. "A lot better than last time. And now that Renji's makin' his way there, they're gonna be on cloud nine!"

Ichigo tightened his grip on the two swords in his hands. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. Thinking about all of the battles going on, he was struggling to keep clam. The old him would have immediately rushed off into battle and attempted to take on all of the enemies at once.

_But I can't do it all by myself..._ he thought. _Thinking that I could is stupid. I... Need to trust them. Trust the Captains and all the others to hold their own. But what if I do and they all die...? What if they can't protect themselves?_

"Hear me out on this, carrot top," Nimaya said, ducking around the boy and crouching on the floor. He looked up into Ichigo's eyes from his knelt position. "I know you wanna leap in all gung-ho, but how 'bout a compromise?" He held up his pinky finger and widened his grin. "You head t' Shutara, get yourself some new threads; then head to the Monk's. All in all should take about an hour. If ya' still wanna go then, then be my guest. But first give yourself a chance to recharge and build up ya' strength."

He thought, in silence, for several seconds. His mind raced as he tried to come to a decision of exactly what to do.

That was when it struck him.

_I don't have to do anything... I was debating with myself over if they could all handle it when I didn't need to. I wasn't the only one training to get stronger... I trust them all._

Breaking into an ever so slight smile, Ichigo looked down at the Royal Guard member. "Deal."

* * *

Asuma Godai (The Lunar)'s eyes glazed over and began to swirl, losing their silver colouring and melding into a bright, sparkling blue. White hair began to sprout from his face and exposed hands, until it looked as if he had grown fur. The joints of his arms and legs cracked and dislocated before moulding and refixing themselves into a distinctly lupine form. His jaw popped out of place, as his teeth began to grow sharp and elongate, and the front of his face began to contort until it resembled a muzzle.

Shuhei struggled to lift his body. As he laid eyes on the Sternritter's new form, he broke into an expression of pure dismay. "You've got to be kidding me..."

Asuma stood in front of the Lieutenant. No longer was he in the form of a man. Instead he had taken on the appearance of a large bipedal wolf.

The Sternritter bared his distinctly canine teeth in what seemed like a grin. "Like I said..." he said. "I'm not an angel. I'm a monster."

Fear flooded Shuhei's system. Coursing through his veins, it filled his entire body.

"Your reaction is understandable," Asuma said, leaning down and placing his hands on the floor. Atop his head, his ears began to flutter. "There has not been a single person that has laid eyes on this form and not been afraid." His claws dug into the ground, cracking the concrete. "You are going to die now. That, I can say with absolute certainty."

**_BOOM!_**

Asuma's head shot up. Pinpointing the cause of the sound, the white wolf's eyes locked onto a light source in the sky. Breaking through the Shakonmaku, the object tore downwards through the air. Colliding with the ground, yet another explosion blasted through the night.

"What is that...?" Asuma growled, the pupils of his luminous blue eyes dilating.

Inhaling deeply, the werewolf sniffed at the night air. The scent that filled his nose, coming from the object's drop site, was familiar. He had smelled it before; back in the first invasion.

"The Lieutenant of Squad 6..." he growled to himself, in realisation. Returning his attention to Shuhei, he locked his joints and bared his teeth. "It seems that I need to finish what I started. But first... I need to take care of you."

Launching himself from the ground, Asuma all but vanished. His speed had skyrocketed. Reappearing in front of Shuhei, he raised one clawed hand and swung it downwards, in an attempt to take off the Lieutenant's head.

All of a sudden, his arm stopped short. Wrapping around the Sternritter's wrist were a series of wires connected to a several blade segments.

Renji Abarai was stood off to the side, gripping his Zanpakuto tightly. The muscles in his arms tensed and his tendons rose up in his exposed wrist. He wore a strange set of robes over his Shihakusho, woven from numerous different coloured fibers.

"Damn..." he chuckled. "Even after all that crazy training I did, you're still so strong. It's all I can do to hold your arm back."

"Renji..." Shuhei choked out from his crumpled position. "It's... The moon..."

"The moon?" Renji grunted, reaching up with his free hand and sticking his pinky in his ear. He pulled a disgrunteled expression. "That's not something I can counter. What am I supposed to do? Blow up the m-?"

He was cut off as Asuma turned and slashed him across the chest with his claws. The fabric of his new garb tore and blood dripped down his front.

Renji released his Zanpakuto's hold on the wolf and leapt back. He gritted his teeth. "You're faster as well."

"I'm curious," Asuma said. "How are you so certain of who I am, despite my form?"

"You look different, yeah," Renji explained. "I don't remember you being quite so... Wolfy. But, maybe it's my training... I can feel who you are."

Asuma's eyes twisted. He registered the change in the Lieutenant. While Renji looked the same, the aura that he was giving off was indisputably different.

Rising to his full height, Asuma looked down at Renji and cocked his head to one side. He flexed his fingers of his right hand and took a step backwards. "It appears you're finally worthy of fighting me," he said, mild admiration in his voice. "I could not have hoped for better. When I left you alive after our last bout, I expected you to grow, but this is splendid." Dark blue reishi began to converge around his hand. "I think you're worthy of me using my true sword."

Renji broke into a stern expression. He raised Zabimaru up and held it in a tight grip.

The midnight blue reishi solidified in the wolf's hand into the form of a long blade. The edge glittered in the night; so sharp that even the wind was sliced by it.

"This is the greatsword Gram," Asuma explained, lifting the blade. "And out of all the members of the Sternritter, I am the most proficient in swordplay. In all my years as a Quincy, I remain unmatched."

Renji lunged forwards and locked blades with the humanoid wolf. "Well then I'm flattered you're willing to fight me at my full," he ground out, forcing the blade of Asuma's sword back.

Asuma turned sideways, allowing the Lieutenant to pass him by. Renji turned back on himself and the pair began to clash blades. Sparks shot into the air and sizzled into the snow that lay upon the street as they moved.

Faster and faster the swords moved, until they were little more than a shapeless blur.

Separating the segments of the blade, Renji wrapped his sword around Asuma's own. Wrenching back, he pulled the Sternritter forwards, before sidestepping and striking the wolf around the face.

Asuma growled. Removing one hand from his sword, he struck out with his claws. Barely dodging the swipe, Renji was knicked across the side of the face.

Their blades met again. Digging his feet into the ground, Asuma swung his sword upwards with so much force that it took Renji off of his feet.

As he was flung back, Renji swung his Zanpakuto downwards at the Sternritter. Again, the segments separated and extended. He landed a slash on the werewolf's shoulder, tearing through his white uniform and gouging deeply into his flesh.

Asuma grabbed the Zanpakuto and pulled Renji down towards him. Raising Gram in his left hand, he tried to take a swipe at the airborne Shinigami hurtling down towards him.

Renji twisted to the side midair and exhaled. As the air left his lungs, his chest sunk and he just about managed to dodge the slash.

Wrenching his Zanpakuto from Asuma's grip, Renji touched down on the ground and leapt back, gaining distance.

_What the hell was that?_ Asuma thought to himself, eyeing the Lieutenant. _His reflexes should not be that sharp. He realised when I switched my reishi streams and altered my Blut..._

Lunging forwards, Asuma engaged his adversary in another flurry of sword swings. Metal against metal rang through the air.

_He's countering my every move. What is this?_

Their blades locked together once more. Asuma glared over the weapons and bared his teeth. His eyes glowed bright blue and the muscles in his arms bulged.

The wolf forced Renji's sword back with a strength far surpassing anything he had displayed before. The Lieutenant's Zanpakuto was flung wide. Asuma stepped in and reversed his sword's swing.

Renji's hand shot out and grabbed the Sternritter around the wrist of his sword arm. Zabimaru extended from his outstretched arm. Flicking his wrist, he directed a strike at the wolfman's back.

Far from cutting Asuma, however, the blade grated over his skin.

_To think he's made me resort to Blut Einklang... _Asuma thought, shaking off Renji's hand before repeatedly engaging the Lieutenant. _It drains too much energy..._

As Renji clashed blades with the Quincy, he began to speak. "Urahara told us that Quincy couldn't attack and defend at the same time. What is this?"

"Out of all the Sternritter, I am the only one able to utilise both reishi channels simultaneously." Sparks shot into the duelling pair's faces as Asuma replied. "Due to my inhuman form."

Asuma's sword began to glow as it clashed against Renji's own. Brighter and brighter the light grew.

All of a sudden, an arrow, formed from reishi, blasted from the edge of the blade and slammed into Renji's front. Carried through the air, Renji was eclipsed in a deafening explosion.

"You're far too dangerous to be left alive," Asuma said, lowering his blade and staring into the haze of smoke above him. His eyes suddenly flicked to the side and locked onto the form of the full moon. "And, unlucky for you, the moon is full."

Light eclipsed Asuma's form, as he let out a deafening howl. A shot of reishi launched upwards into the sky, and split into the form of a five-pointed star.

"Auriel; Illumination of God."


	29. Sou'ou

**Chapter 29: Sou'ou**

Shunsui Kyoraku broke into a grin as he stared down the woman on the other side of the barrier. "It seems that we're more well-prepared than you anticipated," he chided, locking eyes with her.

"No matter," Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) replied, lifting one eyebrow. Her hands were still on her hips. "You are still no closer to defeating us."

"You say that," Shunsui said, lifting one finger and wagging it. "But for all your talk, you're still no closer to breaking through this barrier."

"Really?" Lenora laughed, drawing her sword and striking out. No sooner had she done so, the barrier in front of her shattered.

Shunsui's eyes opened wide.

Shooting up from the floor, another barrier intercepted the Sternritter's advance. Lenora stopped dead, her boot dragging against the floor. Her deep blue eyes narrowed as she observed the barrier.

The structure was indisputably different from before. As opposed to an uninterrupted sheet, this new barrier took the form of a series of segmented hexagons that interlocked with one-another.

"You'd been gradually siphoning reishi from the barrier in order to weaken it..." Nanao said, eyeing Lenora. "You're smart. However, did you really think that I wouldn't have put up a fail safe?"

"Actually, I did," Lenora said, grinning. "Which is why I've also got myself a fail safe." Glancing over her shoulder at the door, she called out. "Boys!"

As she shouted, a squadron of Soldat stormed into the room. White uniforms rustled and crumpled as they moved in unison and took up positions either side of her.

"While I was siphoning reishi from the first barrier, I was making a judgement of how long it was taking," Lenora explained. "Once I'd made an estimation, I sent out a call to my Soldat. If there were a second barrier, these men here... Are the exact number I would need to absorb it, before you could create another."

The second barrier vanished. Reishi trailed in its wake as Lenora's soldiers absorbed the structure.

Leaping forwards, the Sternritter raised her reishi sword and struck down at the Captain. Drawing his two blades, Shunsui blocked the strike and gritted his teeth.

"Nanao, run!" he shouted, forcing Lenora's blade back and engaging her.

Leaping through the window of the room, Nanao took to the streets and began to sprint through the Silbern.

"Do you really think that she'll get far?" Lenora laughed, repeatedly clashing with the Head Captain. "Boys! Search and destroy! I want her mounted on my wall!"

The Soldat that filled the room shot past he duelling pair and leapt through the window, chasing after the fleeing girl. As Shunsui attempted to turn and stop them, Lenora yet again locked blades with him and broke into a wide smile.

"This was fun while it lasted, Head Captain," she said, teasingly. "But all good things have to come to an end."

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) slammed his forearm into Kensei Muguruma's own. Whipping his arm down, by twisting his elbow joint, he grasped the Captain around the wrist. Turning back on himself, he lifted his left leg and kicked his opponent in the side of the face.

Kensei's head was knocked back by the force, momentarily stunning him. Releasing the Captain's wrist, Sylvanus continued the spinning motion of his kick until his left foot reached the floor and his back was facing the Shinigami. Suddenly lifting his right leg, he launched a backwards kick into Kensei's gut, sending him flying.

Regaining his senses, Kensei dug his feet into the ground, carving deep trenches into the street. Kicking off, the threw himself back towards the Sternritter and raised the short combat knife in his left hand, for a wide swing.

As the blade of the knife began move within range, Sylvanus stepped forward. The attack was heading straight for his exposed neck.

The metal passed through his flesh almost as if there was nothing there.

Responding to the opening created by the attack, Sylvanus struck the Captain beneath the chin with a right uppercut.

Kensei leapt back, just as Sylvanus moved to hit him with a left hook. Spitting blood to the side, he flipped his knife out of its inverted position.

_That just felt like I was slashing at air!_ his mind reeled, attempting to discern the nature of his opponent's ability. _And those air currents surrounding his body. It must be something to do with wind. That's why he's so fast, he's using the force of the currents to make him more agile._

Kensei gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt of his small Zanpakuto tightly.

_He must be merging himself with the wind to avoid my attacks. He becomes intangible for a second. But it's only for a second. I'll use the moment he solidifies to counterattack!_

Sylvanus rapidly reached up and snapped a different point off of his necklace.

The Captain leapt back into the fray.

All of a sudden, the air circling Quincy vanished. Light burst from his eyes and flickers of what appeared to be electricity crackled out from his face.

Sylvanus' speed leapt astoundingly. Lurching forwards, he all but vanished. Not expecting the sudden change of pace, Kensei neglected to cover his chest. Slipping through the Captain's guard, Sylvanus struck him in the middle of his ribcage.

Kensei's muscles all locked up. What felt like an electrical shock rippled across his skin, and his pectoral muscles grew numb.

_What on Earth...?!_

Slashing out with his Zanpakuto, Kensei attempted to use the attack as a distraction, in order to gain some distance. Sylvanus' right hand shot up and grasped Kensei around his left wrist. A current of electricity coursed up the Captain's arm. As he grasped the Captain, Sylvanus simultaneously leapt into the air and slammed his left shin into the side of Kensei's face. Again, Kensei felt a pulse of electrical current.

Flung back by the force of the kick, he righted himself midair before touching down on the ground. Suddenly leaping back, he began to retreat to gain some distance.

_His hits aren't as hard as they were before,_ he thought to himself, keeping his eyes tuned on the grey-haired Sternritter. _But that speed! It's inhuman... Not to mention those shocks. I don't know how he's doing it, but he's shutting down my nerve endings._

Watching the Captain, intently, Sylvanus cracked his knuckles and took up another combat stance.

"This has gone on long enough..." Kensei hissed under his breath. "BANKAI! Tekken Tachikaze!"

* * *

Ikkaku Madarame was on the move. Stumbling through the wreckage of the Silbern as fast as he could, he fled the crater that Tomoko had created.

His right arm was broken and his shoulder dislocated. The collarbone on the same side had been crushed. Blood from a deep gash was drowning his face. His left eye was black and swollen shut. The wrist of his left hand was sprained, yet still he held his Zanpakuto.

He had managed to slip out of the sphere of destruction and make a break for it. The radius of explosions was so wide and so loud that Tomoko Stano (The Entropy)didn't even notice, at first.

Now, however, the Sternritter was well aware of his plan to escape. The interference of Sylvanus had cause her to let up just enough to sense that Ikkaku was gone.

Every so often, when Tomoko caught a glimpse of him between buildings, a shot of reishi collided with the ground behind the Third Seat. Blue and white explosions rocked the streets.

_She's weak in close combat_, Ikkaku thought to himself, speeding up and slowing his pace to confuse Tomoko's aim. _I know that much. If I could get in close to her I could land a solid hit... But with her flying like that, not to mention these shots, I can't even so much as turn in her direction._

A shot wizzed through the air in front of him, through a gap in the buildings. It exploded against a building to Ikkaku's right.

_She's predicting my route. Shit. I can't keep this up forever. Sooner of later she's going to catch me in another blast!_

Tomoko chuckled to herself as she peered down the scope of her reishi rifle, with her remaining right eye. Atop her head, the halo that hovered over her messy black hair was spinning rapidly.

"You're going to pay for taking my eye," she hissed, maliciously.

* * *

Renji Abarai watched as the skyward beam of light shattered into glass-like shards of reishi.

"Auriel; Illumination of God."

Asuma Godai (The Lunar) was revealed, glowing like a haunting beacon. Sprouting from the back of his lupine form were a pair of white flame-like wings. Over his head, in the shape of a cresent moon, was a similarly pale halo. Spewing from his mouth, faint blue flames fluttered outwards, like breath in cold air.

Rearing his head back, Asuma let out a booming howl. The sheer pressure of the sound rocked the nearby buildings.

Renji instinctively lifted his sword-wielding arm up, to defend against the shockwave. His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth.

The wolfman suddenly appeared in front of him; right in his face. His sword was raised.

The instinct to shield his face was what saved Renji. Asuma's blade collided with the Lieutenant's own. The sheer force of the strike lifted Renji into the air and sent him flying.

Landing atop a nearby building, Renji rolled. Pushing off, he tore the skin off of his left palm in an attempt to return to his feet. Looking up, he saw the Sternritter soaring through the air, on his wings of light.

Zabimaru whipped up and extended through the air. Shooting towards the airborne Sternritter, the blade shimmered in the half-light of the moon. It appeared as if Renji was attempting to subdue his assault, before he reached him.

It did little good.

Asuma turned sideways as he flew, swatting aside he Zanpakuto with his own blade, before continuing to hurtle towards the Shinigami.

Again, instinct saved Renji. Back-stepping suddenly, he managed to barely avoid a downward slash from Asuma's greatsword.

Rearing his head up, the Sternritter suddenly began to breathe blue fire. Roaring from his mouth, the reishi flames engulfed the building on which the pair stood and began to burn fiercely.

Beating his wings, Asuma leapt from the rooftop, so as not to get caught in his own blaze. Peering through his luminous blue eyes, he watched as Renji's form was eclipsed by flame. His top lip pulled up over his shape teeth, in something akin to a grin.

That was when he felt it. Spiritual pressure. Intense, heavy spiritual pressure, crushing down on him from above.

"Bankai! Sou'ou Zabimaru!"

Emerging from the reishi fire a huge tail, formed from segmented bone, whipped and swung in a wide arc. The flames were extinguished by the force of the swing, revealing Renji.

Affixed to his right wrist was a gigantic gauntlet, taking the form of a large snake's skull. Vertebrae-like bone joints extended from the back of the skull, forming the tail that was whipping through the air. Armoured pauldrons locked onto his shoulders, from which sprouted a cowl of bright red fur. Floating over his left arm was a huge arm, like that of a giant red baboon.

Tensing his right arm, he clenched his fist. Shooting from the mouth of the skull, a long and straight blade sprung into view.

Renji launched himself into the air, the tail of his Bankai spiralling behind him.

He moved so fast, Asuma barely had a chance to raise Gram to defend himself. The two blades clashed in a vibrant blaze of sparks.

"What is this?" Asuma growled, glaring over the blades. "This is not your Bankai! The Daten told us exactly what your Bankai was like!"

"Orochiou," Renji muttered. The blade emerging from his snake skull gauntlet rapidly changed into a serrated form, trapping Asuma's sword underneath one of the hooked protrusions. Wrenching the blade downwards, he pulled Gram from Asuma's hands, sending it falling to the ground below.

Following Renji's downward movement, the tail looped up over his left shoulder and slammed into Asuma's chest. The white wolf was knocked back by the strike, tumbling down through the air and breaking through several buildings, as he reached the ground.

Dropping to the ground, Renji whipped his Bankai tail and lifted his gauntleted arm. The serrated blade glinted and shined in the pale moonlight.

Asuma launched himself from the rubble, towards the Shinigami. Raising his arms, he bared his claws and teeth.

Renji thrust out his left arm, and let out a hoarse shout of: "Hihiou!" The gigantic baboon arm mimicked his movement and lunged at the Sternritter.

Asuma beat his wings, in an attempt to avoid the attack and escape skyward. Unfortunately, he underestimated just how fast the disembodied arm could move.

The bone-like fingers gasped him around the left leg and clenched down. The force was so strong that his leg snapped in two, like a twig.

The arm swung wide, throwing Asuma with so much force that he broke through several buildings and showed no sign of slowing.

Renji kicked off of the ground and appeared above the Quincy, following his flying movement. Lifting his right arm, he pointed the blade down and ran Asuma through. The sword emerged from the Sternritter's back and plunged into the ground, anchoring him in place.

Blood spewed from the wolfman's mouth and stained his white fur. His blue eyes pinpricked and his teeth bared. He lifted one arm to swipe at Renji with his claws, screaming with rage.

"Sou'ou Zabimaru!" Renji shouted, clenching his fist inside the snake skull. "Zaga Teppo!"

Bright red spirit energy flared up from his back, in the shape of a giant disembodied snake head. The jaws of the blaze opened wide and bit down, sailing over Renji's body and chomping into Asuma's pinned body.

A shockwave of energy tore through the streets and shook snow from the roofs of buildings. A fire-like shot of reishi fired skyward and eclipsed the street.

Once the reishi dissipated and cleared, Asuma's body was little more than ash. Charred and burnt, tinder-like bones were all that remained of his body.

Renji pulled his sword from the corpse and dissipated his Bankai. His eyes narrowed and he let out a deep sigh. He looked down at the blade in his hand. "Thank you, Zabimaru... Thank you for trusting me with the true name of your Bankai. I promise... I'll do all I can to protect everyone."

Turning away from what remained of Sternritter L (The Lunar), he permitted himself a brief glance back at his opponent before disappearing into the streets of the Silbern.


	30. Return to Order

**Chapter 30: Return to Order**

Momo Hinamori was on the defensive. Even in spite of her ditsy and clumsy persona, Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) was easily far stronger than the average Shinigami Lieutenant.

The edge of Momo's Tobiume clashed against the needle of Jamina's gigantic syringe. "Hadō 54, Haien!" Momo cried. Purple light blasted from the edge of her Zanpakuto, before exploding violently.

Jamina was flung backwards, through the air and crashed into a wall. She was burned up both of her arms; red blistered flesh contrasting from her pale, milky skin.

Hissing between her teeth, the Sternritter pulled out a smaller syringe and plunged it into her leg. The glowing blue liquid flowed into her veins and rushed into her system. The burns on her arms began to rapidly heal and regenerate new skin.

Jamina's red eyes twinkled, as she looked over at the Lieutenant. "Lucky I have these!" she giggled and span the hypodermic needle around her finger. "That one really hurt! But that's besides the point..."

Casting the needle down, Jamina drew another three from her cloak and held them between her fingers. She dissipated her oversized syringe into reishi and pulled out another three smaller needles. Her smile widened and her bubblegum pink hair fell over her face as she tilted her head to the side.

"Because I just thought of a way to kill you!" Jamina laughed, her pupils shrinking and her eyes warping into an expression that Momo had not seen the Sternritter wear before.

Blue light burst from the syringes clasped in her hands. Leaping into the air, she tossed them at Momo. Drawing more and more from her white nurse's uniform, she launched the medical projectiles over and over.

Momo attempted to dodge the swarm of needles. One, however, managed to find its mark. Sinking into the flesh of her thigh, the device injected the fluid.

Almost instantly, a strange sense flooded over her. Her skin flushed bright red and sweat began to drip from every pore. Beneath her, Momo's legs buckled and she fell to the floor. The pupils of her eyes dilated rapidly.

Jamina began to walk towards the downed Lieutenant, chuckling under her breath. "My ability is healing exclusive," she explained, drawing another needling and spinning it around her finger. "It's supposed to be used for support; but where's the fun in that?"

Momo's body began to tremble and spasm. Her eyes flickered and shot up and tried to place the Quincy. Her breathing was rapid and shallow.

"So how did I do this to you?" Jamina asked, grinning. "Simple... I healed you."

"Wh-what are you...?" Momo gasped.

"Well, healed isn't exactly the right word... I don't inject different substances to heal ailments. I inject the same substance and use my Reiatsu to change the properties." She crouched down next to the Shinimagi and began to playfully rock back and forth on the balls of her feet. "What I did just now..." Jamina reached out and poked Momo. "I gave your sympathetic nervous system a bit of a boost. Adrenaline and noradrenalin are flooding your system right now... Your heart rate should be through the roof."

Reaching out, Jamina injected the second dose of her Reiatsu into the Lieutenant. Momo began to shudder violently.

"And that raised heart rate is perfect to carry this around your body." She giggled to herself and pushed her hair behind her ear. "This one that I just injected you with causes massive cell replication. Exclusive to cells that make up your immune system."

Momo's breath grew scratchy. Her eyes continued to widen.

"Autoimmune disease is caused by an over active immune system," Jamina explained. "An over abundance of cells meant for defense begin to attack your own body, with different target areas resulting in different symptoms." She grinned widely. "Just now, I targeted your lungs... And with all that adrenaline flooding your system, more and more of your immune cells are being pumped towards there..." Tilting her head to the side, she raised one finger to her lips. "At a guess, you'll be dead in, what... Ten minutes?"

* * *

Kensei Muguruma punched forwards with a straight left. As he did so, the knuckle blades that adorned his fist collapsed down into brass knuckles.

Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) thrust his hands out and grasped the Captain around the wrist. Using his hold as leverage, the Sternritter flipped over Kensei's head. Landing behind his opponent, Sylvanus lifted his right leg and kneed him in the ribs.

Allowing the force of the strike to turn him, Kensei span halfway to the side and struck out with a right backhand.

Sylvanus lifted his right arm and blocked. The force that collided with him felt like that of an explosion. Easily swept off his feet, he was carried through the air, towards a nearby building.

Turning about himself midair, Sylvanus' feet planted into the wall and he kicked off, throwing himself back at the Captain.

Kensei let loose a straight right, towards the airborne Quincy. Rearing upwards, Sylvanus placed his hand on top of the Shinigami's fist and vaulted over his arm. Striking out with his left foot, the Sternritter struck Kensei across the face.

Staggaring back, Kensei retaliated with a left hook. Ducking under the fist, Sylvanus leapt to his right.

_I've figured out his Bankai ability..._ Sylvanus thought. _I felt it when he landed that blow on my arm. His Bankai concentrates all of the explosive power from his Shikai into his knuckles. This is dangerous... All he needs is one clean hit on me and I'm done for. Using my lightning ability makes me fast enough to dodge, but my hits aren't strong enough to do any more than annoy him..._

As Sylvanus retreated away, he touched his necklace once again. He toyed with one of the points on it.

His eyes, sparkling with electricity, looked up at where he had left Tomoko. The female Sternritter was no longer there.

_Damn it! Where did she go?_

Kensei appeared in front of him. He had noticed Sylvanus glancing away and fully intended to make use of the opening. Slamming his fist into the Sternritter's stomach, he used his other arm to grasp him around the back of the neck and hold him in place.

The force of multiple explosions ripped through Sylvanus' body. Over and over the blasts pummelled him, causing his body to vibrate.

Finally releasing the Sternritter, Kensei allowed the explosive force to carry Sylvanus through the air. Flipping over himself, he felt the front of his uniform tear. Slamming into a large tower, a considerable distance away, he broke through the wall and landed inside the structure.

"Damn..." Sylvanus groaned before retching and coughing up blood. "The power continues to explode the longer it's in contact... I need to finish this fast."

Reaching up, the Quincy removed his torn and ripped jacket and undershirt, revealing his toned and muscular torso. An angry red burn was etched across his abdomen, where Kensei had struck him.

"I didn't want to have to use my Vollständig so soon into the invasion," he muttered, flexing his fingers. "But I don't think I'll be able to beat this guy without it..."

Tensing all the muscles in his body, Sylvanus readied himself. The necklace that he always wore burst into white light that engulfed his body. Shooting upwards, the resulting column of reishi tore the roof off of the tower in which he stood, before splitting into what appeared to be a five-pointed star.

"Puer vero Terrae; Child of the Land."

As the light shattered, Sylvanus was revealed. Sprouting from his back were a pair of white wings that took the form of what seemed like tree branches, forking and splitting into numerous different protrusions. Over his head, his halo took the form of a bright white laurel wreath.

He reached up and snapped a different point from his necklace. His eyes lost their electric glow. Rock began to form around his forearms and hands.

Leaping from the tower, Sylvanus raised his arm and plummeted towards the ground. Slamming his fist into the ground, he let out a roar of: "Pangaea!"

The instant his hand made contact with the street, the ground began to tremble and shudder. All across the Seireitei, everyone felt the earthquake.

Kensei's legs buckled beneath him, not expecting the sudden forceful shudder.

Using the earthquake as a distraction, Sylvanus kicked off of the ground and rocketed through the air at Kensei. Lifting his fist, the Sternritter punched downwards, planting his fist in Kensei's gut. A shockwave tore through the Captain's body, shuddering and rippling through his muscles and organs.

Kensei's eyes opened wide. Blood slipped through his lips as he gagged.

Sylvanus flipped over him and landed on the ground, over Kensei's head. Rearing his leg back, he moved to kick the Captain in the face.

Rolling to the side, the Shinigami avoided the kick. Concrete was gouged out from the street and flew into the air.

_Slower than before..._ Kensei thought, wincing at the pain in his abdomen. _But the sheer power!_

Sylvanus took another swing at the Shinigami, with his right hand. "Pangaea!"

Once again, he missed. Kensei had managed to stagger to his feet and leap out of the way, just in time. The fist collided with the ground, and another massive earthquake rocked the Seireitei.

Kensei, once more, fell to the ground.

Sylvanus' hand shot up and he snapped another point from his necklace. The rock covering his arms shattered. Around him, a fierce wind was whipped up and two circulating currents of air surrounded his body.

_The wind again?_ Kensei's mind reeled, kicking into overdrive. _Has he realised that he's too slow to land any clean hits?_

As Kensei rose to his feet, Sylvanus appeared in front of him. His left fist sailed up and connected with the Captain's chin in a wide uppercut.

"Shu's Breath!" Sylvanus shouted.

Wind roared from the branch-like wings on his back and whirled around Sylvanus in a massive tornado. The force of the air carried the Captain upwards, contorting his body and crushing the air out of his lungs.

Kensei Muguruma's eyes rolled back in his head. His Bankai faded into ambient reishi. He blacked out.

Sylvanus flicked his wrist to the side, removing blood from his knuckles. His halo and wings shattered into wide shards, leaving only the air currents circling him. Deep silver-grey eyes narrowed as he watched the Captain's body plummet to earth, a half mile away.

"You're lucky I didn't strike to kill," he muttered to himself, cracking his knuckles.

Turning around and looking up into the sky, he attempted to locate Tomoko.

He stopped dead; his eyes opening wide.

* * *

**-Several Hours Earlier-**

Tomoko Stano (The Entropy) was leaning against a wall, busying herself eating a Popsicle. Her black hair hung messily around her face and her bright green eyes gazed off into the distance.

Sylvanus watched her, from his own similar position, through discerning grey eyes.

"You know I can see you staring at me, right?" Tomoko said, glancing out of the corner of her eye at her comrade.

"I don't doubt it," Sylvanus replied. "I was just thinking..."

"About what?" Tomoko asked, biting down on the ice lolly.

"Do you think any of us are going to die in the next attack?" He narrowed his eyes. "I mean, last time we lost two of us..."

"Riveting..." Tomoko sighed, smirking and laughing him off.

"I'm serious," Sylvanus persisted. "People we know might die. Some of your friends could die. Why is that so funny?"

Tomoko sighed and averted her eyes from him. "It's not. It's just... I'd rather not think about anyone being killed, you know? Not to mention... Everyone is so strong. Call me crazy but... I just can't see any of them dying."

Sylvanus looked up at the sky. His eyes followed the slow and dreary movement of the clouds. "Strength hasn't got anything to do with it... Things happen. People make mistakes..."

A breeze blew along the street and tussled their hair about their faces.

Sylvanus' finger gently stroked the seven-pointed pendant hanging from his neck. "It's chaos out there. Both in war and in everyday life. We should know that better than anyone."

"I think you're right," she replied, glancing at him again. "It comes with the territory after all. You know... We may not be the strongest but... I think we might be the most dangerous Sternritter." Tomoko looked down at the ground. "It's kind of funny. We're probably the most sentimental... The two who most want to make friends. And yet our abilities are the most likely to hurt our comrades." She broke into a slight grin. "Entropy and natural disasters... It's like some sick joke."

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) said nothing. He simply listened to his comrade.

"That being said," she chuckled. "With my temper, I'm more likely to go off the rails than you."

"I was going to say, but thought better of it," Sylvanus replied, laughing. "Don't worry, I promise I'll stop you if it looks like you're going to kill too many people."

"You're a right charmer, aren't you?" the black-haired girl laughed, finishing her Popsicle.

"I try," he replied, smirking. He scratched bashfully at the black stubble that clung to the back and sides of his head. Breathing heavily, he looked back up at the sky. "You know," he suddenly said. "You're wrong about us being the two who want to make friends the most."

"What?"

"I said that we're not the two who want to make friends the most," Sylvanus reiterated. He broke into a brief smile.

"And who's that?" Tomoko asked, casting down her Popsicle stick and turning to her side, looking at Sylvanus.

"Onmar."

"Hahaha! Are you kidding me?" The black-haired girl opened her eyes wide in disbelief. "Mr antisocial? The Sternritter who hates more people in the Silbern than anyone else. He's the one that wants to make friends the most?"

"I'm not joking," Sylvanus said, completely deadpan. "He acts aloof; he acts like he doesn't care. But I can see him... God knows how I can, but I can. He cares about us and wants to get close to us. The reason why he doesn't have many friends is because people avoid him. And that's only because he acts like he doesn't care. It's a cycle."

Tomoko seemed to ponder the thought for a second. "I guess you're right."

"The only person I think Onmar genuinely hates is Kirmie," the grey-haired young man continued. "I can see it in his eyes. Everyone else, he would do his best to save, if it came down to it. Even if they didn't like him."

"Well I guess we'll see if you're right in the next invasion," she replied, smiling.

"I guess we will," Sylvanus said, laughing slightly. "Here's hoping he doesn't put my expectations to shame."

The pair stood in silence for several moments. No words needed to be said. They were able to appreciate each other's company.

"You know what you said about stopping me...?" Tomoko suddenly said, breaking the silence.

"Mhmm," Sylvanus hummed, in response.

"Did you mean it?"

"Why would I say it if I didn't?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you want to promise me something?" Tomoko asked.

"Sure."

"Promise me that if things get too out of control, you'll bring them back in order."

Sylvanus laughed. "I promise."

* * *

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) watched Tomoko launch shots of reishi down at the fleeing Third Seat.

In spite of his earlier claim that he could care less about Tomoko's well being, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her the entire time. The tendons in his neck were raised, and his green eyes narrowed.

"Come on," he whispered under his breath. "Look to your left... Notice him!"

Onmar rose to his feet, his hands trembling. His mouth grew dry and his palms became sweaty.

Advancing towards Tomoko, from the North, was the figure of a Shinigami.

The ground around Onmar shuddered, from the second of Sylvanus' earthquakes.

"Look to your left!" he shouted.

* * *

Ikkaku Madarame continued to duck and dodge between buildings. Sweat dripped from every pore of his body and his breathing was laboured. His limbs felt heavy.

He was at his limit.

Ikkaku knew that he wouldn't be able to run for much longer. It was all he could do not to pass out.

Looking up as he moved, Ikkaku watched Tomoko continue to fire reishi at him. Her wings continues to ripple and change shape; the five-pointed star over her head spinning and rotating about itself.

That when when he spotted it. Approaching from the North was a figure clad in a Shihakusho. It was a man with feathery blonde hair.

Izuru Kira, Lieutenant of the Third Division, raised his Zapakuto and leapt into the air.

Tomoko hadn't noticed him yet.

Ikkaku tightened the grip of his good arm on his Zanpakuto. His mind pleaded with Izuru to make it in time.

Gripping his sealed Zanpakuto, Izuru didn't dare call out Wabisuke's name, for fear he would draw the Sternritter's attention. Light from the moon caught the metal surface, glaring out brightly.

Behind Izuru, a tornado whipped up as Sylvanus launched his final attack on Kensei.

Tomoko glanced to her left, suddenly registering the Shinigami.

However, by then it was too late.

Izuru slashed downwards, cutting her across the abdomen. Blood spurted out from the wound and soaked her white uniform crimson red.

Her eyes opened wide in shock and dismay, before the light behind them faded. The white wings adorning her back shattered, reigning glass-like shards of reishi on the ground below.

Tomoko crashed to the ground, with Izuru touching down next to her a half second later. Moving fast, he ducked between the buildings and grasped Ikkaku, slinging him up onto his back.

"You can thank me later," Izuru said, hurriedly, beginning to move. "Right now, we need to run."

* * *

Tomoko's vacant, dead eyes stared up at the night sky. Blood spilled from either side of her mouth, leaving deep red lines running down her cheeks.

Sylvanus looked down at her and gritted his teeth, in an attempt to fight back tears. "Damn it..." he choked out.

Kneeling down, he reached out and closed her eyes with the tips of his fingers.

"You weren't supposed to go," he said, standing up and rubbing his eyes. "I... I'm going to have to leave you here... But... You know the orders." He breathed out deeply and looked skyward, before returning his attention to Tomoko's body. "I'll come back for you once this is over. I promise."

Leaping from the ground, he took to the air and disappeared into the night. His hands were balled so tightly into fists that his knuckles turned white.

Several minutes passed. Nothing moved.

All of a sudden, a shadow appeared. Slinking over the ground, it passed over Tomoko's corpse.

"K-k-k-k-k..."


	31. Rest & Regroup

**Chapter 31: Rest &amp; Regroup**

Shunsui Kyoraku locked blades with Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C). Lenora's full red lips were plucked up into a sly smile. Her bright blue eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Not even using your Shikai?" she taunted, raising one defined eyebrow. "That's a mistake."

Lenora flicked her wrist out, knocking aside Shunsui's Zanpakutos. Lunging in, she reversed the movement of her wrist. Shunsui stepped back to avoid the slash, before clashing with her again.

"Something tells me that you're not taking me too seriously," Lenora smirked. "Aren't you worried about your Lieutenant? By now, my men have probably caught up to her."

"Do you think I have so little faith in my Nanao-chan?" Shunsui smiled in reply. Forcing back the woman's arms, he stepped forwards and struck out with the shorter blade in his right hand.

Lenora removed her left hand from the hilt of her sword and grabbed the blade. The veins in her hand and wrist glowed bright blue as she activated her Blut.

Swinging her arm down, she pushed the sword wide and leapt back. Swinging the blade in her right hand down, she fired two Heilig Pfeil at the Captain Commander.

Shinsui leant to the side and avoided the arrows, allowing them to explode against the far wall.

Lenora was about to follow up on her attack when her whole body suddenly locked up. Her eyes gained a faraway expression.

**"Lenora,"** Yhwach's voice echoed inside her head. **"I need you to return to the Palace. Now."**

Pulling her sword into a tight defensive stance, the Sternritter took a deep breath. Her hand gripped the hilt of the sword tightly and her eyes narrowed.

"Leaving so soon?" Shunsui chuckled.

"How did you-?"

"A educated guess," he replied, cutting her off and smiling. "It really is a shame. I was enjoying out little back-and-forth." Looking down, he eyed her sword. "Oh, don't mind me, I won't follow you. Feel free to leave."

Lenora hesitated for a half second before sheathing her sword. Her gaze moved up and down over Shunsui's form. She tensed her jaw. "I'll be back for you later."

Shunsui winked. "I'll be looking forward to it."

* * *

Nanao Ise ran through the streets of the Silbern, trying desperately to escape the battalion of Soldat that were chasing her. Daring not to even turn around, she could hear the stomping of their trench-boots growing louder and louder.

A hail of reishi arrows began to swarm through the air towards her back.

"Bakudō #39! Enkōsen!" Reaching behind her back, Nanao summoned a flat circular barrier that blocked all of the oncoming attacks.

Hurriedly turning a corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. A squad of Soldat had anticipated her route and cut off her escape ahead of time.

Reaching up and pushing her glasses up her nose, Nanao took a step back. The fingers of her left hand flexed.

Suddenly lifting her arm, a beam of pale violet spiritual energy manifested in her hand. "Bakudō #62! Hyapporankan!" Throwing the javelin-like Kido towards the oncoming Quincy, the reishi pole split and divided into numerous identical structures.

Slamming into the advancing Soldat, the Kido lifted them off of their feet and pinned them against the far wall, at the opposite end of the alleyway.

Continuing to run forwards, Nanao dashed past the restrained Quincys. Turning left, she began to run down a road parallel to the one she had been on before.

Almost as if they had expected the dispatchment of their comrades, more Soldat flooded out of the various adjoining streets and followed close behind her. Every so often, several of them would fire Heilig Pfeil at the fleeing Lieutenant.

Constantly casting Kido behind her, to defend herself, Nanao's feet tore through the snow underfoot. Her usually neatly parted hair leapt around her face as she ran and her glasses slipped down her nose.

Under her breath, she was muttering an incantation. "Ye, Lord. The mask of blood and flesh; all things of the universe that fly; that which names all. On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. On the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens."

Nanao turned around and raised both of her hands. Her palms touched at the join of her wrists and her fingers were held tightly together.

"Hadō #73! Sōren Sōkatsui!"

An immense stream of blue fire shot from her hands and tore down the street. The torrent of flames eclipsed the Soldat forces, exploding violently. Their screams were drowned out by the sound of the blast.

Just as Nanao was about to turn and continue running, she felt a hand on the top of her arm. Whirling her head around, she found herself face to face with a Soldat. Behind him, there were at least ten more.

Glaring through the goggles of his face mask, the Soldat member tightened his grip on Nanao's arm. "Something tells me you're not going to be running away much anymore," he said.

Blood flew into the air, spattering the snow-covered ground. The members of the Soldat all fell, their bodies crumpled into heaps on the floor.

Ash seeped out of their wounds and took to the sky, before reforming into a blade, clasped in the owner's hand.

Rangiku Matsumoto leapt down from an overlooking building. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes..." Nanao gasped, looking down at the Soldat before stepping over the corpses. "Thank you for helping me."

Rangiku looked down the scorched and burnt road at the bodies of the previously pursuing Soldat. "Looks to me like you might not have needed it."

"We all could use a bit of help."

"No arguing with that..." Rangiku replied, glancing around herself at the surroundings. "We need to move. It's not safe here."

"It's not safe anywhere," Nanao retorted, looking up at her comrade.

"I think we may have found somewhere that is," Rangiku said. "We've managed to gather a lot of us together. Isane and some of the Fourth Division members are treating the wounded there."

Nanao appeared shocked. Even in spite of the chaos that the Seireitei was in, many of them had still managed to think and act with clarity. "Please. Take me there."

* * *

Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) stood in the shadows, in the corner of the ice palace's entrance hall. Her arms were folded across her chest.

When His Majesty's voice had entered her mind, she found herself wondering who else had been ordered to return to the Palace. Yhwach had addressed her specifically, by name. Such a thing very rarely happened.

Walking through the entrance, a man with messy black hair pushed his glasses up his nose and checked the time on his wristwatch. Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) directed his attention to Nina and smiled, waving briefly.

Nina raised two fingers from her folded arms, to acknowledge him, before averting her eyes.

In spite of how nice he was, she preferred not to associate with him. She knew just how dangerous the man could be. Nina would rather keep a polite distance. It wasn't as if it was out of spite; in fact, Joseph seemed to accept it.

Leaning against a wall of his own, Joseph shifted himself into a comfortable position and closed his eyes. He was more than likely attempting to fall asleep.

Seeing this, Nina chuckled under her breath.

Lifting her head up, she gazed at the ceiling. Her eyes suddenly snapped open wide. Hanging vertically from the ceiling was a woman.

_When did she get there?_ Nina thought, surprised. _I didn't even sense her Reiatsu._

Gabriele Geschlechtliche (Sternritter V) paced along the underside of the roof, her hair hanging down from her head. After venturing a way, she came to the wall and began to traverse the stone surface.

"I heard Tomoko is dead," Gabriele said, smiling widely and stepping down onto the floor. Reaching up, she pushed her hair behind her ear and laughed softly.

Gabriele was a young woman with long glossy black hair, pushed pack and out of her face. A thick stripe of red hair adorned the top of the thick black hairdo. Her skin was so pale that his was almost transparent and her eyes a deep shimmering crimson. Her well-manicured nails were painted black.

The uniform that Gabriele wore was tight fitting and streamlined. The neckline of her jacket was low, exposing her breasts, and her skirt reached midway down her thighs. Coming up to just above her knees, she wore high leather boots.

"That's not something you should be laughing about," Nina snipped in reply.

"Come on, Nina, it is a _bit_ funny," Gabriele insisted, chuckling again. "After all the talk about her being one of the strongest, to die this early is hilarious. Not just her, either. Legion, Balder and Asuma. It's quite a spectacular body count."

"You're sick."

"I'm having fun." Her crimson eyes sparkled. "Do you know how many Shinigami I've killed? One hundred and six."

"Well isn't that nice for you," Nina retorted.

"Don't pretend that you're not jealous," Gabriele laughed, walking away and dismissing Nina with a wave of her hand.

"Bitch..." Nina whispered, under her breath. In spite of being confident in her victory, she knew better than to start a fight in the middle of Yhwach's palace. Even more so if the fight was with one of their own.

Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) walked through the entrance, Lenora Poultery at his side. Lenora was talking to him about her theorys as to why they were ordered to gather. As usual, Zeit said nothing.

Lenora stopped her one-sided conversation to point at Joseph, now fast asleep. "Someone wake him up!" she shouted, annoyed.

Across the room, Gabriele glanced over her shoulder and scoffed, ignoring the request.

Nina flicked her eyes over to Joseph. She had no intention of approaching him. Even less so, considering it was Lenora's order to do so.

Lenora watched the gathered Sternritter for several seconds before she realised that none of them would follow her order. Pulling an annoyed expression, she walked up to Joseph and grabbed him by the arm before shaking him awake.

Joseph opened one eye and groaned. Reaching up with his left hand, he scratched at his messy black hair. Moving out of his leaning position, he glanced sidelong at Lenora and muttered: "I was enjoying that."

The Soldat Grand Mistress found herself instinctively flinch backwards ever so slightly.

Joseph broke into an amused smile. "Someone's a bit jumpy."

Footsteps filled the air as Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) walked into the cavernous room. Nina found herself thinking that this was one of the only times she had ever seen him standing up.

Onmar's lime green eyes looked over the occupants as he walked to the middle of the room and sat down on the floor. He didn't say a word.

Crawling across the floor next to him, was a small beetle. Onmar eyed it with quiet disgust.

Against the far wall, a staircase formed from reishi appeared, leading down from Yhwach's throne room. Descending the steps, Yhwach's black cloak billowed around his body.

His vision swept across the sparse population of the room. His deep red eyes narrowed. "Where are Haans and Bheratt?"

Lenora stepped forwards. "They must still be on the battlefield."

No sooner had she said this, two men entered the room. Both were swathed in white cloaks and hoods that obscured their forms and threw their features into shadow.

"Splendid," Yhwach said, breaking into a broad smile. "Now all is ready." He swung his arms out wide. "For you select few will aid me in bringing about my final goal!"

* * *

Nanao Ise and Rangiku Matsumoto walked into a small building. Surrounding the structure was a spiritual barrier that had been designed to mask Reiatsu.

Inside, they came to a room. Various unseated Shinimagi were laid on the floor, already being tended to by members of the fourt division. Sat propped up against a wall were Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa. They were being treated by Hanataro Yamada.

Nanao swallowed hard as she looked upon all of the injured.

"This isn't even all of them," Rangiku said, solemnly. "Captain Sui-Feng is in the next room, along with Captain Muguruma. Isane is in there treating them."

"I had no idea the situation was this dire," Nanao said.

"The fighting has quietend down for now, but we never know when the Quincys will attack again," Izuru Kira said, walking into the room and explaining the situation to Nanao. "Captain Sui-Feng is in critical condition. Until she's recovered, Captain Hirako and Captain Ōtoribashi are watching out from the upstairs windows."

"You've thought of everything," Nanao said, mildly impressed.

"Not quite," Izuru replied. "If we're attacked by any more than two enemies I don't know if we could hold them off... I managed to kill one of them earlier, but that was only because she didn't know I was there. In a one on one fight I don't know if I could do anything."

"As much as I hate to agree, I feel the same..." Rangiku said. "They're all crazy strong..."

"Even their foot soldiers are on the level of seated officers," Nanao added. "And the size of the groups they move in make them dangerous even to Lieutenants."

"I can vouch for that," said Rangiku, narrowing her eyes.

"We need to come up with a plan of action," Nanao muttered, half to herself. "As much as I hate to say this, get the Fourth Division members to stop healing the unseated officers. They're in a state where their lives aren't at risk. Move them onto the Seated Officers and the Captains. Concentrate on getting them back to full health as fast as possible."

Izuru tucked in his chin and hesitated for a second. "I..." He exhaled heavily. "Understood."

Turning towards Matsumoto, Nanao knitted her brows and asked: "Do you have any idea where the others are?"

"Unfortunately, no... The only reason I managed to find you is because of all the explosions and Kido being thrown around." Her expression softened and her hand began to tremble. "Earlier we... Found Momo."

"Why isn't she here?"

"She... She's dead..."

Nanao felt her heart lurch in her chest. Her eyes opened wide. "How...?"

"I don't know..." Rangiku muttered. "It looks like she just... Stopped breathing... She didn't even have any wounds on her body."

"Then there's an enemy out there that can kill without direct contact... Which makes the situation even more dangerous than we first thought..."

"Damn Quincys..." Izuru muttered under his breath.

* * *

Nina Redwing walked out of the palace, with her hands in her pockets. Her crimson hair billowed around her head, caught in a chilling wind. Behind her body, the typical white cloak of the Sternritter flared up.

"What was that all about?" suddenly arose a voice, from behind her.

Nina turned. Stood next to the palace entrance was Eric Koertig (Sternritter R). His bright blue eyes shone out of his skull mask.

Nina knitted her brows together and cast her deep eyes down.

"Can't say, huh?" Eric asked, walking towards her. "It must be important, then."

"It is."

"Yeah..."

Eric tilted his head to the side. "Are you alright? Something seems off... You were much more talkative the other day."

Nina couldn't bring herself to tell him what had been said by Yhwach. She couldn't tell him what it was that had shaken her so much. However, that wasn't the only reason that she had appeared distant.

The red-haired Sternritter was wary of Eric. After her interaction with him the other day, she couldn't trust herself around him. He had a strange power over her that got her to lower her guard. She felt exposed around him.

"It's nothing," Nina lied. "I'm just tired, is all..."

"That's understandable," Eric said, following close beside her as she began to walk away from the palace. He glanced at her sidelong. "You should have a rest."

"I'm fine."

"Come on, I insist," Eric chuckled, smiling slightly. "I know a good place."

"I've been given a mission by His Majesty, I can't just stop and take a break any time I feel like it," Nina propounded.

"But, seeing as you were just walking out of the castle, you probably don't have to do it for a while?" he guessed, grinning. Taking her by the wrist, he guided her through the streets. "You won't even have to stop for long."

Nina caught herself breaking into a smile as she sighed. "Okay, you win."

Eric broke into a grin and continued to lead her through down the many winding and forking streets and alleys in the Silbern.

Coming to a stop in front of the giant white clock tower, he opened the door and ushered Nina inside and up the stairs. They ended their journey at the very top, inside the uppermost part of the tower, where the many cogs and wheels worked the mechanism of the clock. From the missing panels in one of the clock faces, they could see across the entire Silbern.

"Okay, you're right," Nina admitted, laughing slightly under her breath. "This is a good place."

"Why thank you, miss," Eric chuckled, bowing low in a mocking fashion.

Nina shoved him and walked towards one of the clock faces. Leaning against the railing, she looked out of the missing panel and across the city. Towers of smoke, and craters were visible in the distance.

"The view would be nice, if it weren't for all that," she said, indicating the signs of battle.

"You might be right about that," Eric replied, moving to stand next to her. As if it had only just occurred to him, he suddenly turned towards her and said: "Do you mind if I take off my mask?"

Nina was taken aback by the statement. She had no clue why he would require her approval to do so; unless of course his face were marred by some kind of horrible disfigurement.

"Um, sure," Nina said, uncertainly.

Eric reached up and removed the mask, allowing his features to meet the open air. Far from what Nina had expected, he appeared rather plain. Normal, but not unattractive, his face was unassuming. He was clean shaven, and his skin pale. Still glowing, his bright blue eyes shone towards her.

"Why would you need my permission to take it off?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. "You're quite good looking-" She caught herself and stopped.

"Courtesy," he replied. "That and I haven't shown my face to anyone in so long, I was worried you wouldn't care for it."

"Well I can confidently say you have nothing to worry about," Nina laughed.

The pair stood in silence for several minutes. The mood between them was settled and smooth. Even the air itself felt subdued and calm.

"I almost wish I didn't have to go out there and fight," Nina said, softly.

"I know what you mean..." Eric replied, narrowing his eyes as he watched the distant smoke rise. "I don't like seeing people suffer."

"Then why did you join the Vandenreich?"

Eric laughed. "Other than because I had no choice in it?" His expression grew somber. "My mother was killed by a Soul Reaper. That's not to say I condone all this slaughter, but... I don't know. I can justify it like that."

In spite of all the digging she had done into her fellows, Nina had not known this. She didn't know that what she said could have brought up something so painful for him. Her mind worked frantically to find a way to say something. In the end, however, Nina did something that surprised even her.

Reaching out slowly, she placed her hand over his.

Neither said a word.

* * *

Atop the vestibule road, Ichigo stepped out. His twin Zanpakuto were sheathed and bound to his body.

He was ready to depart for the Seireitei.


	32. Sunrise Avenue

**Chapter 32: Sunrise Avenue**

"Hoorah!" Tenjirou Kirinji shouted, pumping one fist into the air. The huge pompadour that adorned his hair swung through the air. "All up and ready and good to go! Hope you've crossed your I's and dotted your T's!"

Ichigo stepped onto the edge of the vestibule road. He was swathed in a series of extravagant and ornate robes, over the top of his Shihakusho. "Of course," he said, slowly and with great purpose.

Ichigo suddenly pulled a confused expression. Glancing around himself, he looked as if he was attempting to find something.

The gathered members of the Royal Guard looked at him with perplexed expressions.

"What are you looking for?" Kirio Hikifune asked.

Moving his hands up and down, Ichigo mimed as if there were a pillar in front of him. "That stone tube-y thing that we rode up here in."

"You mean the Tenchuuren?" Hyousube Ichibei (The Eyeball Monk) said, lifting one eyebrow.

"Yeahhh we don't have that," Tenjirou said, rubbing the back of his head. "You're taking the scenic route back."

Ichigo stopped and pulled a dumbfounded expression. "What?"

"Don't you 'what' me," Tenjirou retorted. He turned towards Senjumaru Shuutara and nodded. "The stairs."

Senjumaru tapped her cane against floor. Suddenly appearing, in the middle of the air, a staircase extended downwards in a spiral, towards the Seireitei.

"The pillar isn't something we can use on a whim," Tenjirou explained. "So you're going to have to use your stairs. Those clothes you're wearing are made from our bone and hair... That'll allow you to pass through all those barriers."

Ichigo's body locked. "That means if I leave now, it will take half a day..." He turned towards the Zero Division. "Do you think they'll be able to hold out until I get there?"

Ichibei broke into a calm smile. "I have no doubt."

With that, Ichigo leapt into the air and began to plummet through the centre of the staircase.

* * *

Peaking over the horizon, the sun began to rise. Varying shapes were thrown from the shadows across the various white buildings of the Silbern. Orange, red and pink light flickered and danced from the rising sun. Four hours had passed since the last battle ended.

Rukia Kuchiki moved slowly between the buildings, assessing the situation. The fact that she hadn't heard so much as a peep from the enemy in so long unnerved her. It was almost too quiet.

For the past hour, she had been attempting to locate her comrades. So far, the task was proving far more difficult than she had previously assumed it would be. The Quincy city was designed specifically to impede the ability to sense Reiatsu. The buildings and streets almost seemed engineered to confuse anyone attempting to remotely locate people, by rebounding particles of reishi.

Her tight hold on the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki didn't waver even for an instant. The breath billowing from her lips, as smoke, was slow and steady.

All of her senses were focussed into fine points. She could feel her heartbeat in her chest, pumping her blood through her body.

Her ears suddenly pricked up. Rukia could hear footsteps. They were light, but definitely noticeable. The steps were fast. Whoever it was, was running.

Rukia fixed her form into a tight combat stance and raised her Zanpakuto.

Leaping around a nearby corner, a flash of black and pink hurtled towards Rukia. Her eyes opened wide as she realised exactly who it was.

Yachiru Kusajishi, the Lieutenant of Squad 11, launched herself at Rukia. Grasping her comrade around the torso, she hugged her and began to swing around her neck. "Byakuya-Kun's sister!"

"Lieutenant Kusajishi!" Rukia gasped, shocked. Looking down at the girl, she held her Zanpakuto away at arms length so as not to cut her. "What are you doing here?"

"Ever since everything changed, I've been looking for people to keep me company," Yachiru said, releasing her hold on Rukia and dropping to the floor. "I've mostly been hiding. I've been sneaking into the Quincys rooms and kitchens and stealing food and bedding, then running!"

Rukia pulled a dumbfounded expression. "How have you not been found by them, yet?"

"I'm a master infiltrator!" Yachiru proclaimed, holding her chin in her index finger and thumb and raising one eyebrow. "I've had years of practice, sneaking into the Kuchiki manor!"

"I guess that makes sense... Wait, what do you mean, sneaking into the Kuchiki manor?"

"So do you know where anyone else is?" Yachiru asked, ignoring Rukia's question.

"So far, no..." Rukia said, softly. "When the invasion started, I was in the Squad Thirteen barracks. There wasn't anyone else there with me."

"Boo..." Yachiru pouted, folding her arms. "I was hoping you would know where Byakuya-Kun was. Or at least someone fun like Rangiku."

Rukia felt a vein throb atop her temple. _So she doesn't think I'm fun? I see how it is..._

"What are we going to do now, then?" Yachiru asked, looking up at Rukia and staring blankly.

"We move slow," Rukia replied. "And we stay out of sight."

* * *

Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) stood watching the sunrise from the clock tower. The multitude of shades of red blended with her crimson hair, melding her profile with the morning sky.

Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) leaned against the inside of the clock face, peering out of the gap that Nina was looking through.

"It's surprising..." Nina suddenly said. Her voice was soft and quiet. "There haven't been any fights since we came here. It's almost like everything has just stopped... All of this is... Strangely peaceful."

Smiling to himself, Eric picked up his mask. "Yeah... You're right."

Noticing her comrade retrieving his mask, Nina turned towards him and lowered her eyes softly. Her deep brown orbs held his form as he covered his face once more. "So I take it this is goodbye?"

"For now," Eric replied, smiling.

"That's a shame..." Nina replied, with a hint of reluctance. Reaching up with her right hand, she pushed her bright red hair behind her ear.

Wrapping his long white trench coat around his body, Eric fastened it tightly at his front and looked at the red headed girl out of the corner of the skull's eye socket. "Hey," he said, reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder.

Nina half-flinched from the touch and blushed ever so slightly. She looked into the glowing blue orbs.

"I'll see you again." He laughed, revealing his teeth. "Before you have to go and do whatever it is Yhwach wants you to do, come and find me. Okay?"

Smiling weakly, Nina tilted her head to the side. "Deal."

Eric held out his hand and smiled. Taking the offered appendage, Nina wrapped her fingers around the back of his palm.

"Don't shake unless you mean it," Eric said playfully.

Nina grinned. "It's a promise."

* * *

Nanao Ise looked around the gathered group, through her large round glasses. Rangiku, Izuru, Yumichika and Ikkaku were all sat in a circle. Captain Ōtoribashi was stood in the doorway, watching. Captain Hirako was still upstairs on lookout, and the injured Captains were in the next room, being treated by the remainder of the medical division.

"We need to discuss our plan of action," Nanao said, seriously. "The enemy hasn't made a move in hours; it's unnerving."

"I agree," Izuru replied. "They managed to catch us off guard in their initial attack, but now we've grown accustomed to the battlefield it should be easier for us to move."

"But where are we going to move to?" Rangiku asked.

"We need to make our way to the Research and Development Institute," Nanao explained, leaning forwards. "Or at least what's left of it. When the Captains regained their Bankai, the Tentei Kura came from Kisuke Urahara. He's the one who most likely has effective defense measures; and if he's anywhere, he would be there."

"The only problem is this damn environment," Ikkaku cut in, folding his bandaged arms across his chest.

"He's got a point," Izuru commented. "The way this city was designed bounces Reiatsu off of buildings. It's nearly impossible to locate anyone. The only reason we managed to was because we saw all those explosions."

"So we do it the old-fashioned way," Nanao said. "We use the sun as a reference point. We know the Twelfth Division barracks is to the South West, so we move in the opposite direction from where the sun is rising."

"We need to be careful, though," Yumichika said. "The Sternritter I encountered when I was on my own told me where another one of them was. West of where you found me. From the way she spoke about them, it seemed like they were really dangerous."

"So we steer clear of that area..." Nanao muttered under her breath. She looked up into the faces of her comrades. "And if we do encounter an enemy, we fight. They may be strong, but from what you've all reported, they don't move around in groups larger than two. Which means we'll have an advantage in numbers if we do come across one, on our way."

"Though greater numbers doesn't always mean victory," Rose said, walking across the room and looking down at the seated Assistant Captains and Officers. "Numbers mean very little when confronted with overwhelming strength."

"I don't know about that," Ikkaku muttered, glancing up at the Captain. "The only reason we managed to beat that Sternritter chick was because there were three of us..." He moved his gaze across Yumichika and Izuru. "And she was crazy strong."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think there are probably stronger," Yumichika said, looking sidelong at his friend. "She was powerful, but reckless. I get the feeling that the enemy have people a lot more dangerous than that in their ranks..."

"Fantastic..." Ikkaku hissed between gritted teeth.

Matsumoto took a deep breath, before speaking. "This isn't doing us any good, second guessing anything."

"You're right..." Nanao said, closing her eyes and sighing. "The more we sit here and talk, the less likely we are to get anything done."

"So are we sticking to the plan of finding the Research and Development Institute?" Izuru asked.

"Yes," Nanao replied. "We move as a group, with Captain Hirako." She looked up at Rose. "I'm sorry, but your Banaki effects anyone that hears it and would be dangerous to us, if we come across an enemy. You should stay here and protect this building, while Captains Muguruma and Sui-Feng are being healed."

"That makes sense," Rose replied, folding his arms. "You've got a good head on your shoulders."

"Thanks," Nanao said, smiling ever so slightly. "We'll leave in half an hour. Make sure everything is in order and you're prepared. This is going to be a rough ride..."

Ikkaku broke into a wide grin and laughed softly. "If it wasn't a little bit rough, this wouldn't be any fun."

Yumichika smirked. "I have to agree with you, on that."

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki moved slowly through the streets and alleyways of the Silbern. His attention was so focussed and intense that even the slightest sound drew his attention. He was being cautious.

When the Seireitei had first been taken over, the Sixth Division barracks (or at least the building that had taken its place) was swarmed with enemy soldiers. Luckily for Byakuya, there was not a Sternritter among their ranks.

In spite of their low rank in the enemy army, the sheer number of Soldat that had mobbed him ensured that he was kept occupied for almost four hours. He had sustained almost no injuries, save a few cuts and scrapes, however the duration of the fight meant that he had to lay low afterwards to build his stamina back up.

By the time morning had broken, he was almost back to full strength.

He held Senbonzakura in a loose grip. That would allow him to adjust his stance, depending on the nature of the enemy's attack.

Byakuya would move for ten minutes and then rest for fifteen. It was a strategy that had, so far, paid off well for him. The times in which he would rest enabled him to survey the environment, and his movement allowed him to change locations to avoid detection, himself.

Out of all the Officers of the Gotei Thirteen, Byakuya's tactic was the best in terms of promoting survival and avoiding detection. He didn't have a particular destination in mind. Instead he was focussed on staying out of sight and ambushing any Sternritter he came across, and killing them quickly.

The rising orange sunlight lapped at his form, throwing violet shadow on the ground behind him.

His footsteps were practically silent. He moved with all the grace and elegance of a cat. The breath that flowed in and out of his lips remained calm and steady.

Dark eyes were focussed, on the lookout for anything that could be perceived as a threat.

One thing Byakuya failed to notice, however, were the ants.

A thin line of small insects were pattering across the floor, alongside Byakuya. They marched in single file into a thin crack, extending from the floor up along the wall to the Captain's right hand side.

"K-k-k-k-k..."


	33. Sideyatosiya

**Chapter 33: Sideyatosiya**

Byakuya Kuchiki continued on his slow pace.

Behind him, ants continued to flood into the crack on the wall. Slipping from the fissure, a series of thin digits extended out and gripped onto the wall.

Pulling itself out of the small crack, the form of a man emerged into the morning light. He wore a long white cloak, that covered almost every inch of his body. Pulled up over his head was a thick hood that threw his face into shadow. Shining from within the hood was a distant yellow light.

The man moved strange. His movements were lurching and bumpy, his feet beneath the cloak rarely leaving the floor, almost like that of a tripedal gait. In spite of this, he moved silently.

Creeping up behind Byakuya, the man raised one arm and prepared to attack.

Byakuya's eyes opened wide. The instant the man behind him had raised his arm, a soft breeze had blow up behind the pair. The Captain noted the discrepancy brought on by the figure's presence. He also noticed a strange smell, carried on the wind.

Moving almost as if by reflex, he leapt forward and avoided the attack.

Spinning around, Byakuya faced the cloaked individual and narrowed his eyes. Lifting Senbonzakura, he took up a fluid and loose combat stance.

"You're good," Byakuya said, his voice intentionally low. "Even now, I still can't feel your Reiatsu. How long have you been following me?"

The figure beneath the cloak shook as it laughed. "K-k-k-k-k..." It lifted its head, beneath the cloak and peered out of the shadow. "Ever since the beginning of the invasion."

Even the man's voice was weird. It didn't sound like a single person talking, but rather many talking at the same time. It burbled and rumbled wetly, echoing out of the hood.

"You seem to be slipping... Byakuya Kuchiki," the man said, mockingly. Again, his strange laughed echoed out, clicking through the air. "K-k-k-k-k-k-k..."

"Scatter."

Cherry blossoms flew through the air, towards the cloaked figure. They caught the morning light and threw a bright pink glow down on the white street.

The cloaked man threw himself to the side and momentarily vanished. He avoided the attack and reappeared across the road. Kicking off from the ground, he launched himself at Byakuya and raised his arm once again.

Pulling the petals back towards himself, Byakuya blocked the attack and cut the enemy across the hand. A strange blue-green fluid spattered the floor, as opposed to the red blood that Byakuya was expecting.

The man leapt back and continued to laugh. Flicking his hand, the unknown liquid splashed against the floor. It was then that Byakuya realised it. The hand was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It had no nails or joints, appearing to be little more than a green-brown sack, in the shape of a hand. The "fingers" rippled, moving in strange, anatomically impossible ways.

"You..." Byakuya said, almost at a loss for words. "Who are you...?"

"I think a more apt question would be 'what are you?'" The man's voice gurgled. "To which I would be more than happy to reply."

Byakuya sent a swarm of petals towards him. Again the man dodged, activating Hirenkyaku and vanishing for a brief moment.

"My name is Kirmie," the man said, reappearing on a rooftop overlooking the road. The yellow glow from beneath his hood grew in intensity. "K-k-k-khhh... I am the one who is going to kill you, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Again the flower petals slashed through the air, towards him.

_This man is different from Joseph Fehler.._. Byakuya thought._ Joseph seemed skilled, but this man lacks any refinement. He's faster, but his movements are linear. I just need to predict where he will be and attack him._

Senbonzakura ripped through the air, ahead of the Sternritter, cutting off his escape route.

It was then that a curious thing happened.

Kirmie turned sideways and, for lack of a better word, bent around the cloud of flower petals. His entire body, from the feet up, curved and contorted out of the way of the attack.

Now out of the way of the attack, Kirmie kicked off of the ground and lunged at Byakuya. Senbonzakura chased after him, slashing at him from the side.

Once more, the strange man contorted his body to bend backwards, avoiding the attack. This time, however, his long white cloak was caught in the blaze of pink petals. As the material was torn from him, it revealed his form.

Byakuya's eyes opened wide in shock and horror.

* * *

Renji Abarai looked over his shoulder at Shuhei Hisagi and lifted one tattooed eyebrow. "How are you feeling?"

"Still hurting a lot," Shuhei replied. "But I'm resilient. I'll be fine."

Through the night, the paid had taken turns keeping watch. After the battle with Asuma, Renji had returned to the initial battlefield and retrieved his comrade. After that, they agreed to hide and lay low until morning, to ensure that they weren't ambushed by an enemy.

"Good to hear," Renji said, in response. "If we run into more than one, I need to know that I can count on you. I don't think I could manage two Sternritter on my own... Even after the training I've gone through."

"That makes sense," Shuhei said, glancing either side of himself as he moved, to make sure an enemy wasn't approaching. "That being said, though... Back when you fought, that was some serious power you were throwing around."

"You talk like it's impressive..." Renji again glanced back over his shoulder. "But you're much more talented than me. If you were to actually use your Bankai, it would be almost as powerful."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shuhei cast his eyes to the floor, to avoid eye contact.

"Don't play dumb," Renji persisted. "You can try and hide it all you want, but I know full well that you can use Bankai."

"I just..."

"Look, I know, okay?" He looked back ahead and tightened his hold on the hilt of Zabimaru. "You're scared of it. God knows, you have every right to be. I think everyone knows how violent your Zanpakuto spirit is... But right now, that can't be an excuse. Next time we're confronted by an enemy, you need to use it. This isn't just about you... This is about the whole of the Soul Society."

Shuhei paused for a brief second, seemingly deep in hesitant thought. He suddenly laughed to himself.

"What?" Renji asked, slightly perplexed.

"I just... I remembered your days back in the Shinigami Academy. You were my Junior, and yet now, you're the one who is scolding me." Shuhei laughed again. "I never would have expected that."

The red-headed man broke into a slight chuckle. "I guess you're right- Whoa..."

Gasping in dismay, Renji looked down at the ground. Swarming out of every crack and crevice were insects of all different shapes and sizes. They were all heading in the same direction.

Shuhei looked down at the creatures and half choked on his shock and surprise. "What the hell is going on...?"

* * *

The Amazon Rainforest is a truly huge and varied environment. Covering roughly 5.5 million square kilometres, it is home to over a tenth of the world's species. As such, it has an unparalleled level of biodiversity; constituting the largest collection of living plant and animal species in the world.

One such example is that of insects. The rainforest is home to over 2.5 million species of insects.

One such insect is of particular note. A curious creature unlike anything else in the world.

Disce Sideyatosiya.

Commonly referred to as the "Learning Bug", by local tribes, it is a creature in an Order of its own, with no natural relatives in nature. While still in the Biological Class of Insects, it has evolved so independently and in such a linear fashion that it barely resembles an insect.

It lacks the hard exoskeleton typical of all other insects, instead bearing a body formed from a green and brown leather-like outer skin. This outer skin allows movement through the concept of surface tension. When pressure is applied to the skin, through attached muscle contraction, the skin tightens and hardens, forming a temporary muscle anchor. Because of this, Disce Sideyatosiya is able to move and contort its entire body into impossible forms and positions. Through relaxing its muscles, its body is able to become soft and pliant, enabling it to fit into even the tiniest of spaces.

The Disce Sideyatosiya is also unique in that, unlike the majority of insects, it does not undergo metamorphosis. Due to not having the exoskeleton, it is able to undergo growth and change at a slower rate. This also means that its life cycle is far longer than the average insect, reaching physical maturity in ten years and eventually dying after thirty. There have even been reports of them growing to the size of a human child.

It possesses three pairs of compound eyes, granting it vision so advanced that it is second only in the entire animal kingdom to the Mantis Shrimp.

The creature is also strange in that it only births a single young during its lifetime, as opposed to other insects that produce dozens. A Disce Sideyatosiya will watch over its egg until it is hatched, protecting the young from predators. After the birth, the young will then stay with the parent for a year before venturing out on its own.

By far the most staggering feature of this creature, however, is its brain. Extremely adaptive, in order to corner prey it often creates elaborate plans and lays traps. While many other insects possess a form of collective intelligence, known as a hive mind, the Disce Sideyatosiya has a very similar, but ultimately more advanced ability. Able to sense minute changes and natures of hormones and sounds, and mimic them flawlessly, it is able to tap into the hive minds of other species. It uses this to trick these other creatures into walking into its lair.

However, this is not the reason that it is known as the Learning Bug. It is so named because of its extraordinary ability to learn what are normally considered to be human skills. Construction of simple tools is one such skill. There have even been reports of local villagers teaching the creature how to play games such as chess or checkers.

Another strange feature of the Disce Sideyatosiya is the ability to spontaneously physically evolve. By constantly consuming other species of insects, over a long period of time, it is able to display physical properties usually unique to those species. For example, should the Disce Sideyatosiya's diet consist of wasps for an extended period of time, it would eventually form a stinger.

The creature truly is a natural marvel.

* * *

Emerging from the torn white cloak, Kirmie retreated backwards several steps. The sunlight caught his body in a dull glare.

His face was long and bore numerous ridges, surrounding three pairs of bright yellow eyes, positioned down the length. The bottom of his head was open, with several stinger-shaped teeth jutting out of the opening. Whipping out, to taste the air, was a long pink tongue; the tip of which bore a leech-like mouth. At the top of his head were several thin hair-like green and brown spines.

The skin that covered his face and body was mottled and discoloured in various shades of sickly browns and greens. Running down his back were a set of spines and atop the back of his forearms were a pair of large black probiscis.

Kirmie's body was distorted and misshapen. It was heavily apparent that he lacked any bones. Sprouting from the bottom of his contorted torso were two pairs of thin legs. Just like an insect, he had six limbs, if one were to include his arms.

Crawling up his body, from the ground, and into the opening at the base of his head were numerous insects of varying shapes and sizes.

Byakuya recoiled in disgust.

"K-k-k-k-k..." Kirmie gurgled, the laugh emerging from the bottom of his head. "Surprised?" His bright yellow eyes bulged and focussed on the Captain. "I can bet that you are."

"You're not human..." Byakuya said, shocked. "What on earth are you?"

"Indeed I am not," Kirmie replied, lurching backwards slightly, to gain more distance. "And did I not tell you? K-k-k... I am the one who is going to kill you."

Saying nothing, the Captain motioned with the hilt of his sword for Senbonzakura to flock in front of him. As the petals floated in place, they created a makeshift shield and also allowed for offence, should the need arise.

"Though if you are referring to what manner of creature I am, I may be willing to oblige," Kirmie's voice buzzed. His body bent and twisted into something vaguely reminiscent of a bow. "Animalia, Arthropoda, Insecta, Disce, Sideyatosiya Kirmie." He raised his head and twisted it to the side, folding his 'face'. "My comrades know me as Sideyatosiya Kirmie."

Byakuya swing the hilt of his sword down, sending hundreds of petals flying towards the Sternritter.

Instead of dodging to the side, Kirmie jumped backwards, landing flat against a wall. His body was suddenly crushed inwards as he slipped into a crack in the wall. The wave of cherry blossoms crashed into the wall, but by then Kirmie was long gone.

_He's using the cracks to move around!_ Byakuya's thoughts shouted to him. _That's how he was able to sneak up on me. But by hiding like that, he restricts his range of vision. All I need to do is move in such a way that I'm not in a direct line from any fissure or crack._

Byakuya leapt into the air and landed atop a building, all the while making sure that there were no gaps in the walls or floor.

"You think you can escape my eyes like that?" Kirmie's voice buzzed, echoing through the area.

Emerging from a crack in the street, a needle-like shot of spirit energy fired into the air and weaved towards Byakuya. It moved so fast that it managed to pierce the Captain through the shoulder.

_So he can control his arrows... That's not that much of a surprise; I'd expect the Sternritter to at least be able to do that much. But that's not the problem... How can he see me well enough to land a hit? His vision should be obscured._

Two more small and thin arrows flew through the air towards Byakuya. This time they shot skyward before turning about themselves and plummeting down at him. They managed to pierce him through either foot, pinning and holding him in place.

Slinking and slipping out of a fissure where the street met a wall, Kirmie ventured out into the open once more. His yellow bulbous eyes drank in the view of the surroundings, almost as if everything were occurring in slow motion. On almost every surface, of every building, were dozens of insects of varying sizes and species.

The grotesque creature laughed once more. "K-k-k-k-k..."

Sideyatosiya Kirmie (The Hive Mind) bent his limbs and craned his neck into an uncomfortable angle as he prepared to launch another attack on the stunned Captain.

* * *

**[Author's Note: This has by far been my favourite chapter to work on so far. I've been building up the mystery of Kirmie since the first chapter, and have loved finally bringing it all to light!  
**

**I hope you all have enjoyed the fic so far; I know I certainly have! I would love to hear who your favourite Sternritter is! Please review and say!]**


	34. König von Insekten

**Chapter 34: König von Insekten**

The Hive Mind.

One of the rare instances where the Scrift is merely an extension of a Sternritter's natural inborn abilities.

The Disce Sideyatosiya, as previously stated, possesses the ability to learn and infiltrate the collective intelligence of other insects. The ability of the Hive Mind serves to advance this skill to a staggering level.

The Schrift allows Kirmie to project his own mind and thoughts into the brains of every insect that he encounters. These insects are all connected in a psychic link. Whatever they see, Kirmie sees and vice versa. He can communicate with every one of these insects telepathically, regardless of distance, and create swarms to overwhelm his opponents.

This ability is also what allows Kirmie to talk as if he were a human.

By influencing various flies and crickets, inside his own body, he prompts them to collectively produce sounds of various pitches and intensities to form what sound like words.

* * *

_How can he see where I am?_ Byakuya thought, hurriedly attempting to rip his pinned feet from the ground. _I should be in a blind spot, so how did he manage to attack me so precisely?!_

Blood followed in Byakuya's wake as he tore his feet from the arrows. He moved as fast as he could, leaping from roof to roof. As he did so, Senbonzakura flashed through the air towards Kirmie, who had just moved out into the open.

The Sternritter flattened himself onto the floor, dodging the attack. Once the flower petals had moved over his head, he lunged forwards, his six limbs flashing across the ground.

Leaping into the air, Kirmie raised his two arm-like appendages and pointed the palms of his hands at Byakuya. Holes opened up in the middle of his palms. Fluid sprayed out of the holes and mixed midair.

A cloud of smoke flew through the air and a loud explosion cracked out. Byakuya hurriedly leapt to the side, but not before the scalding chemicals burned him up his right forearm.

_What in God's name was that?!_

"K-k-k-k-k..." Kirmie chuckled under his breath.

Kirmie landed on the roof and lurched forwards, just as Byakuya landed. Raising his right arm he plunged the long black probiscis, that adorned his forearm, into Byakuya's shoulder.

_He's... Sucking my blood!? _Byakuya's eyes opened wide as he realised just what the Quincy was doing.

Byakuya swung his right arm up. He still held the hilt of his Zanpakuto in his hand.

"Sōkatsui!"

Blue fire flung from his hand in a torrent so huge that it defied reason. Kirmie's form was completely dwarfed by flames.

The Sternritter burbled out a horrific, distorted scream. Pulling the appendage from Byakuya's flesh, he fled and retreated back. His body folded and contorted into the floor, smothering the flames.

Senbonzakura rose up over the edge of the building and flew down towards Kirmie.

A dense cloud of flying insects flew into the air, intercepting the petals and delaying the attack by a fraction of a second. Utilising this opening, Kirmie flung himself to the side and rolled over the edge of the roof, disappearing into the alleyway below.

Another swarm of insects buzzed through the air, behind Byakuya. Enclosing around him, they began to bite and scratch at him.

Once more, Byakuya took to the air. Leaping out of the cloud of bugs, he thrust his hand down and incinerated them with Kido.

_He's controlling the insects in the area... _Byakuya thought, swinging his gaze around the environment. His keen eyes picked out several different bugs, watching him from vantage points. _That's how he knows where I am. Their eyesight must all be linked. So, to defeat him... All I need to do is crush all of the insects._

Byakuya flipped his sword hilt into an inverted position and recalled the petals back into the form of a blade. Releasing the sword, it plunged through the air before disappearing into what appeared to be an invisible body of water.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

A column of gigantic swords emerged from the ground behind the Captain. The sunlight glinted off of the metal, glaring brightly across the area. All of a sudden, the numerous blades burst into thousands upon thousands of cherry blossoms. The petals, almost as if caught in a subtle breeze, began to dance and flutter through the air, throwing pink light down upon Byakuya.

Splitting apart, the immense swarm of cherry blossoms divided into groups and began to converge on the pockets of insects scattered around the battlefield. One by one, they were torn apart, the carcasses scattered across the white street.

Watching from beneath a sewage grate, Kirmie gurgled and laughed under his breath. "That's it, Byakuya Kuchiki... Use your Bankai. And then I will crush you along with it."

* * *

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was tapping away at one of the numerous monitors and keyboards that filled his private laboratory. All around him, every surface was illuminated by brilliant light.

Behind him, Kisuke Urahara almost perfectly mirrored his actions on another identical keyboard. His fingers blurred and danced across the keys and his eyes were narrowed intently.

"Something is wrong," Kisuke said, slowly and full of purpose.

"And what might that be?" Mayuri asked, raising one eyebrow in curiosity as he looked over his shoulder. "It has been a long time since I have seen you so perplexed, Kisuke."

"I'm getting a strange reaction..." he explained. "The number of Reiatsu signatures in the area is skyrocketing. There's over a million of them."

"That's not right." Mayuri turned the entire way around and walked over to Kisuke, his ballooned luminous suit restricting his movement somewhat. "What have you done. If you've broken my machine, I swear-"

"I haven't broken anything! Look for yourself!" Kisuke pointed down at the display screen.

"That's impossible..." Mayuri muttered. "Two million... And rising... Where are all of these Reiatsu signatures coming from?"

"There doesn't seem to be a source," Kisuke responded, continuing his typing. "But they're all tiny... Almost negligible. It's the volume of them that has me worried. If the number continues to grow like this, it would make it impossible for us to tell what's going on. Even now, it's interfering with some of our sensing equipment."

"This is indeed a problem..." Mayuri mused. "I may have to venture out of the lab, myself, to see what all this commotion is about."

* * *

_Thus saith The Lord: "Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt." - Exodus 8:16_

_Thus saith The Lord: "If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials, on your people and into your houses." - Exodus 8:20_

_Thus saith The Lord: "If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen." - Exodus 10:4_

All throughout history, insects have played a pivotal role. Many primitive cultures utilised insects as medicines. Other cultures held them as sacred; a prime example being that of the Scarab Beetle to the Egyptians. Even the Roman and Greek empires were known to use insects in battle; filling baskets with wasps and throwing them over the walls of the enemy.

However, the most prevalent use of insects in history is that of the Plagues of Egypt. Three of the ten were that of insects.

The reason behind this was rather simple.

Insects are dangerous.

The creature responsible for the most deaths annually, in Japan, is not the bear or the shark, but the wasp. The Japanese giant hornet is an extremely aggressive and territorial creature, often attacking indiscriminately. In fact, it is so aggressive that it will continue to sting those that it attacks after it has run out of venom; even if the victim is already dead.

A swarm of desert locus, should they descend upon a human habitat, can potentially consume everything. Food, clothes and even dwellings are all eaten. The locus is typically referenced, in historical texts, as being akin to a natural disaster.

Similarly termites, should their numbers increase to a large enough degree, can potentially case widespread destruction to housing environments and crops alike.

Army ants are among some of the most dangerous creatures worldwide. Unlike other species of ants, army ants do not construct a hive or a nest, instead wandering and invading the homes of any insect unfortunate enough to get in their way. Indescribably aggressive and unprecendently predatorial, a typical colony of army ants can consume over half a million prey animals per day.

However, there exists a creature that even army ants attempt to avoid. Itself an ant, it is reported to have the most painful bite of any insect in the world. The paraponera, locally known as the bullet ant, has a bite so painful that it is said to feel like being shot by a gun.

These are just a few pieces of evidence towards an indisputable fact.

Insects are dangerous.

* * *

Bugs crawled out of every crack and crevice in the Silbern. Flooding the streets, they all began to converge on a single point. There were so many of them that they almost appeared to be a solid mass.

Clicks and chirps filled the air, the sound building and building until so many insects had emerged that it transcended into a roar.

All across the Silbern, Shinigami and Quincy alike broke into expressions of shock and horror as they saw the swarm.

Byakuya Kuchiki was the exception.

If he did possess any feelings of horror, he had managed to suppress them entirely. He maintained a calm expression.

His Bankai danced through the air, covering as many angles as possible. He carved into the numerous insects, taking out hundreds of them at a time.

However, no matter how many he killed, more took their place.

Kirmie rose out of the ground, atop a column of bugs, cackling to himself. Carried on the tide of the insects were dozens of corpses. Dressed in white and black garbs, it was apparent that they were that of both Gotei and Vandenreich soldiers.

_He's been using the corpses of people killed in the battles to incubate insects! But that doesn't explain this many... He must have filled the sewers of the enemy territory with them. And if he can control all of them... This is bad._

Slipping through the gaps in Senbonzakura, dozens of insects fell upon him. As they bit and stung him, welts sprung up from his skin and blood began to drip down from his limbs.

Flinging off his Captain's Haori, he incinerated the material, to prevent the spread of the insects.

Grasping himself around the wrist, Byakuya let out a harsh shout of: "Hadō #11, Tsuzuri Raiden!"

The yellow current of electricity coursed through Byakuya's body. Smoke sizzled from beneath his Shihakusho as all of the insects in contact with his body were electrocuted.

_I need to hold out and just keep killing them_, Byakuya thought. _There's millions of them, but they're not infinite. He's got to run out of insects at some point._

"K-k-k-k-k... Do you want me to take a peek inside your mind?" Kirmie gurgled, over the churning sound of the bugs. "You believe that if you continue to kill my bugs then they will slowly begin to die out and decrease in number." His long pink tongue flicked out of the opening at the bottom of his head and tasted the air. "That is just not true."

A swarm of hornets flew towards Byakuya in a massive cloud. Senbonzakura rushed up and turned them into yellow mush.

While this was occurring, a group of what appeared to be moths began to circle Byakuya. Strings trailed behind them, and soon the Captain was held in place.

His movements dulled by a second, the delay allowed several dozen ants to crawl onto his feet. Byakuya flinched downwards in pain as the small creatures began to bite him. Pain so severe that it felt like he had been stabbed in the feet shot up his legs.

Petals from his Bankai flashed down, cutting the strings. Dashing away from the colony of ants, he again electrocuted himself with Kido to kill the insects.

Coughing up blood, Byakuya landed on a neighbouring rooftop. The Hadōs that he were using may have been low level, however the desperate situation that he was in meant that he didn't have the time to focus and restrain his Reiatsu. The shocks were already beginning to take their tole.

_This is insane. There are too many. There are even more than the number of petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. I can't keep up with him!_

Kirmie continued to distort his body, all the while laughing. Spewing from his 'mouth', a flood of insects cascaded down the front of his body.

Around him the bodies of all the dead Soul Reapers and Quincys hung in midair. They were suspended by their wrists from ever moving and changing clouds of flies. A mixture of maggots and fully formed bugs spewed form all of their orifices.

Hundreds of locus tore through the air towards Byakuya. In spite of Senbonzakura turning the majority of them to mush, they just kept coming. Breaking through the cherry blossoms, the locus latched onto the sleeve of the Captain's Shihakusho. Within seconds they had consumed the material.

Continuing to dodge the insects and lash back with his Bankai, the Captain of the Sixth Division desperately tried to fight off the bugs.

As he landed on another building, the structure spontaneously collapsed beneath his feet. Wood splintered and cracked, revealing thousands of termites. Falling into a huge pile of insects, Byakuya was bitten and stung over his entire body.

"Hado #58, Tenran! Hadō #33 Sōkatsui!

A massive tornado-like wind ripped through the inside of the building. Whipped up and fuelled by the wind, blue fire blazed up and filled the building. Again the insects were all burned to a crisp.

Caught in the middle of the fire, Byakuya's Shihakusho, from the waist up, was reduced to ashes. His torso was severely burnt, the skin turning red raw.

Breaking through a window, he emerged back out onto the street.

The bugs had finally ceased in their flooding of the area. Every insect in the entire of the Silbern had arrived at their battlefield. They covered every wall, every building and almost every inch of the road. Pillars of bugs rose up towards the sky, like foreboding statues. The air was filled with clouds of flies, hornets, wasps, bees, mosquitos and flying beetles. Maggots were dropping to the floor from the suspended corpses.

Over all of it, Kirmie stood with his hands raised at his sides. His yellow eyes bulged and his head continuously twisted and crumpled as he laughed. "K-k-k-k-keh! What's wrong, Byakuya Kuchiki?" His head jolted forwards. The bottom of his elongated and misshapen head was pulled upwards, curving to the sides in a manner similar to a deformed, perversive smile. The stingers jutting from his mouth-hole clicked together. "How apt..."

"What... do you mean?" Byakuya gasped, trying to catch his breath. Around him, a narrow circle had been cleared.

"As is the case in nature, the flower is consumed by the insect," Kirmie gurgled. "And so shall you be consumed by me. You will be another step towards building by army. K-k-k-k-kehh!"


	35. Kare Hana

**Chapter 35: Kare Hana** • **枯れ花**

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) was trembling with anger. His pale green eyes were so wound up that they formed close to perfect circles, either side of the point of his fringe. His pupils were pinpricked and a boiling sweat soaked through his white uniform. The skin of his face had turned bright red and his teeth ground together, harshly. Tears began to fill the corners of his eyes.

Rage flooded his system. White hot rage. Pure and untainted, it coursed through his veins like acid as he watched the display.

Even from this far away he could see it.

Tomoko Stano was hung by her wrists from a cloud of flies. Maggots squirmed in her eyes, crawling down her face. Emerging from her ears and mouth were hundreds of cockroaches. Ants crawled in and out of her hair and flies pattered across her Sternritter uniform.

Onmar drew breath through his teeth, rapidly. In and out; in and out. The shaking intensified; his hands beginning to blur. Blood dripped through his fingers. He had balled his fists so tightly that he had broken the skin.

In spite of his rage, Onmar held himself back. If Yhwach knew that he attacked a comrade who was winning a fight with a Captain, there would be nowhere he could run from his wrath. His Majesty hated infighting.

However, he still had to fight himself into submission.

No matter what he said, and how much he insisted that he didn't need any friends, deep down, Onmar wanted them. And now he could see one of them, violated, in front of him.

Violated by the one member of the Sternritter that he hated more than any other.

Tears dripped from his chin.

"Kirmie... You bastard..."

* * *

The numerous sensors and monitoring devises inside Mayuri's lab were still going haywire. Alarms sounded, metallic wailings cried out, piercing through everyone's ears.

Ever since the insect swarm had appeared on the battlefield, it had been impossible for the Research and Development Institute to get a read on anything else.

Akon was doing his best to contain the chaos. So far, he had been unable to correct the issue. Even Kisuke Urahara was having trouble.

"I thought you were supposed to be a genius!" Akon shouted at the former Captain.

"I am!" Kisuke replied, shouting back. "But this isn't a matter of genius. Your devices were engineered to detect Reiatsu. Each of these insects possess spiritual powers, so they all emit Reiatsu. It's so varied that I can't filter it out; there are too many of them!"

"Shit!" Akon cried out, slamming his fist into the control panel in front of him. He suddenly moved and pulled a confused face, as if he had only just then realised something. "Wait... Where's the Captain gone?"

"Mayuri said that he was going to see what the commotion was about," Kisuke said. "No doubt, he's probably going to go where all the bugs are heading."

"But if he's going there, then..."

"Yes," Kisuke said, peering out from the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat. "Everyone else will be heading there as well. Well... Anyone looking for a fight, at least." He reached out and pointed at the area of the map that was glowing the brightest. "That place is like a beacon, right now. Give it a few more minutes and that will turn into a war zone."

Kisuke took a step back and glanced over his shoulder. As he did so, a Senkaimon opened up in the middle of the laboratory. Every member of the Institute stopped what they were doing and turned their attention towards the dimensional gateway.

"Did you hear that?" Kisuke asked several figures that stood inside the portal. "That means... You may want to head there yourselves. If you want to help, that is." He broke into a sly smile.

* * *

"Eww! Get away!"

Sternritter S, Aya Herz, leapt into the air in an attempt to avoid the insects that were clamouring over the floor.

"Damn you, Kirmie, you know I hate bugs!" she squealed, hanging onto an overhanging streetlight.

"Looks like you're having fun," Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) said, walking over the carpet of insects and looking up at her comrade. Her white and black hair shimmered in the morning light. Her deep purple eyes were twisted in amusement.

"It's not funny!" Aya shouted, her legs flailing as she dangled.

"Not a good idea, with that miniskirt!" Clarlonde called up, still half laughing.

Aya screamed and lowered one hand, to pull the bottom of her skirt down. She was now hanging on with only one arm. Her face was beet-red and hot from where she was blushing.

Turning her attention towards the direction the bugs were moving, Clarlonde narrowed her eyes. "I've never seen anything like this before..." she said, suddenly solemn. "He's really going all out." Reaching up, she began to chew on the base of her thumb. "Can you feel it?"

Aya stopped her thrashing and screaming, to look down at her comrade. "Feel what?" she asked, slowly returning to a calm attitude.

"Everyone is heading there," Clarlonde said, speaking around her hand. "Pretty soon, the battles are all going to start. They won't be like the little fights we've had up until now... This is going to get really bloody."

"Do you think we should go?" Aya asked, hesitantly.

"You can do what you like..." Her violet eyes moved nervously. "But, as much as I hate to do it, I'm going to make my way there."

As the insects finally cleared the floor beneath the street lamp, Aya dropped to the flood. Her gloved hands quickly dusted off her body. "Then why are you going to go there?"

"Because... If I do, we may be able to end this war in one battle. And the fighting won't be dragged out."

"That's stupid," Aya muttered. "Whether you go or not, people are still going to die. Even if the fighting is dragged out, the same people are still going to die."

"But-"

Aya pushed her glossy black hair behind her ear and interrupted Clarlonde. "I don't mean to sound cold, but that's the way it is."

"Don't you want to help your friends?"

"Friends?" The young girl scoffed and folded her arms. "You're my only friend, and you're right here."

"What about Knight?" Clarlonde asked. "You mean to tell me that after all this time, you don't want to help him?"

"I can't help him."

"Can't, or won't?"

"I can't!" Aya said, raising her voice. "He made me promise. If I were to get hurt, he would never forgive himself." Her purple eyes, so similar to Clarlonde's own, closed as she took a deep breath. "And if I interfered with any of his fights... It would damage his honour."

Bowing her head, the older girl began to chuckle softly. "You know... You're not quite as petulant as people think."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not?"

"Take it however you want," Clarlonde replied. Beginning to walk and follow after the insects, she re-adjusted the hat of her uniform. "You're welcome to join me, if you want... But I'm going."

* * *

Rukia Kuchiki leapt from building to building. Following close behind her was Yachiru Kusajishi.

She had a bad feeling, in the pit of her stomach.

The insects by themselves were cause for concern, however the reason for her unease was something different. Something the she couldn't quite place.

"Nii-Sama..." she whispered under her breath as she ran. "Please, be safe..."

* * *

Byakuya continues to carve through the onslaught of insects, with the petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. However, no matter how many of them he killed, he didn't seem to be getting any closer to culling their numbers.

Almost every inch of him was covered in blood. His bare torso and arms bore so many stings and bites from the creatures that it was almost impossible to find any skin that wasn't swollen or cut. The venom of the numerous hornet stings was finally taking effect, and he could practically feel his body going into shock.

His feet were bloody and torn, restricting his movement. It was all he could do to dodge attacks without his legs giving way beneath him.

Glaring out of his face, Byakuya's eyes were hooded and losing focus.

_I just... Need to kill... More of the insects... As many as possible. If I don't... The whole Seireitei is in danger._

Another swarm of pink petals gouged into the bugs ahead of him.

Kirmie simply laughed. "K-k-k-k-k... You think that if you slowly kill them off, you'll be able to permanently reduce their numbers?" His voice was gurgling and filled with sadistic amusement.

Byakuya said nothing. Still he continued to attack with his Bankai, all the while being set upon by Kirmie's colony.

"Shall I let you in on a secret?" the grotesque creature cackled, reaching out and grabbing one of the hanging corpses. Gripping the body of Tomoko Stano by the hair, he flicked out his tongue and ran it over her dead, maggot-infested, flesh. "While it's true that I usually need corpses to incubate insects, there is a method by which I can increase their numbers infinitely, at a fast rate..."

The Captain of the Sixth Division felt his heart lurch in his chest. _Did he just say that he can make more?_

Kirmie's "fingers" began to distort and flick as he leant back and raised his arm-like appendages. "I could quite easily kill you without doing so, but honestly I'm surprised that you've lasted as long as you have..." His six yellow eyes glinted. "So as a reward, before you die, I will show you true despair."

The Sternritter's arm suddenly shot up. Shoving it inside the mouth-like opening at the bottom of his head, he began to dig around inside his own body. A sickly gurgling, choking sound filled the air.

Byakuya recoiled in disgust at the display.

Pulling his arm from the hole, with a sickening wet pop, Kirmie held a white scarab beetle between his digits. Emblazoned across its back was a five-pointed Quincy Zeichen.

Crushing the beetle between his digits, light shot upwards into the air. Bugs of all shapes and sizes poured from his mouth, almost as if he were vomiting. His body bent and contorted as a gigantic pair of fly-like wings sprouted from his back. Insects covered almost every inch of his body, forming themselves into two extra pairs of legs before dissolving and merging, transforming until they looked as if they were his own. Over his head, a halo of gnats and mosquitos buzzed and rotated.

"Suichiel; Plague of God."

Byakuya took a step backwards. He bore a look of utter horror across his face. This, however, was not brought on by the appearance of Kirmie's Vollständig, but rather by something else. Something terrifying.

Every single insect in the area began to breed with each other, at a rapid rate. Eggs were continuously laid, over and over again, before hatching in a matter of seconds to reveal not larvae, but fully grown insects.

The number of insects began to skyrocket.

Millions. Tens of millions. Hundreds of millions began to hatch and fill the area. Rising up into the sky, the flying bugs threatened to block out the sun.

_This is impossible... I thought there were too many before, but this is insane!_

Kirmie cackled like a lunatic, swinging his arms around him as he flew through the air. "Look upon your death, Byakuya Kuchiki! Soon my insects will cover the whole of the Silbern! Then no one will be safe! I will kill you all. I will strip the flesh from your bones, tear out your organs and violate you with insects! You and every other Shinigami!"

A tidal wave of bugs crashed not Byakuya, sweeping him off of his feet and engulfing him. Yet again, he was stung and bitten all over.

_I need to kill him.._. Byakuya thought, fighting through the swarm._ He's far too dangerous. If I don't kill him here, everyone could be killed. But... I can't allow even a single one of his bugs to survive... I need to kill them all._

Again the creatures slammed into him. They were practically tearing him apart. Blood poured from his wounds, soaking into the ground.

_Gokei... Increases the number of petals to hundreds of millions, but... With all these bugs on my body, if I flash-step to escape, some would be left alive..._

Kirmie continued to laugh, lording over the scene.

_No... If that's the only way, then so be it._

A shockwave rippled out from Byakuya's body and pulsed through the entire area. The petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi instantly began to multiply. Flying out, in all angles, they began to swarm and churn in a massive sphere. Not a single insect was found outside of the sphere of cherry blossoms.

Suddenly stopping short in his burbling laughter, Kirmie's yellow eyes bulged in surprise. "What is this?" He hurriedly turned his body, in an attempt to discern the nature of the ability. "Why are there so many of them?!"

"It's futile..." Byakuya said, still in the midst of the insects. "The petals surrounding you number in the hundreds of millions. Even more than your insects."

"But if you unleash something like that, you'll be killed as well!" Kirmie screamed, worms and leeches flying from his mouth.

"If it means killing you, I would be more than willing to give up my life," Byakuya choked out, rising to his feet. Blood slipped out of the corners of his mouth. "You have no one but yourself to blame... You've pushed me to the point of no return, and now you need to face the consequences."

Kirmie reared his head up and prepared to charge at the Captain. "You-!"

"Out of everyone I've fought..." Byakuya said, slowly. "You were the strongest, the most tenacious... And most disgusting enemy ever."

_Rukia... I'm sorry. And Kurosaki... Do not disappoint me. I'm leaving the rest up to you..._

The Sternritter let out a scream of rage.

"Gokei."

Cherry blossom petals ripped through the air. Every conceivable angle, every millimetre was sliced. The insects were all reduced to mush. Kirmie and Byakuya's bodies were both liquified by the attack.

Blood soaked the entire area. It filled the crater left behind by the, forming what looked to be a crimson lake.

Arriving in the area, Rukia Kuchiki looked down into the bloody pool. Her eyes were open wide in horror and a chilling sweat gripped her body.

"Nii-Sama..." she gasped, falling to her knees. Tears began to slip from the corners of her eyes. Her bottom lip began to tremble and a wail escaped her mouth. "I-I..."

After a matter of seconds, her composure had devolved into sobbing.

* * *

A pair of beetles crawled out from a thin crack in the road, and into the fresh air of the street. Beginning to multiply, within a matter of seconds, they had increased in number to well over a hundred.

Merging and melding together, they eventually took the shape of the top of Kirmie's torso.

Gasping and hacking for air, his malformed body crawled across the ground.

"That crazy bastard," he choked out. "Killing himself. How dare he! He... Killed all of them; all my precious bugs...!" His yellow eyes bulged out of his head. He coughed in an attempt to breathe. "I'm going to kill them all. Every single one of them. I'll kill them all!"

All of a sudden, footsteps filled the empty street. Kirmie lifted his malformed head in an attempt to place where the sound was coming from.

Onmar Gunther stepped out into the light. His face betrayed nothing, set like stone.

"Onmar, good..." Kirmie gurgled. "K-k-k-k-k... You can help me-"

"Why did you do it?" Onmar asked, interrupting.

"What?"

"Why did you use our comrades like that?" he spat out. "Why did you use Tomoko's corpse?"

"K-k-k... Sentiments," Kirmie laughed, weakly. "Why else? To make myself stronger... To kill the enemy. Don't pretend you wouldn't do the same... Now help me, you bastard."

Onmar's lime eyes narrowed. He pulled one lip up in disgust and raised his foot.

"W-wait... Onmar, what are you-?"

Stomping his foot down onto the floor, he let out a low mutter of: "G-9."

Kirmie's entire body was crushed into the floor. Every inch of him was liquefied by the sheer force of the pressure; his lack of a skeleton only emphasising the effect.

Sideyatosiya Kirmie was dead.

"One of the four elites?" he said, with contempt. "Don't make me laugh... You're not even worth the dirt on my shoe."

Onmar turned away from the scene, his face stoic. At his side, his hand was still trembling. His eyes turned red as he fought back the tears.


	36. Catastrophic Clash

**Chapter 36: Catastrophic Clash**

Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi arrived at the location of Byakuya's final stand. The morning sunlight shone down upon the crimson lake, throwing light over the shimmering surface. A chilling wind blew through the area.

Overlooking the pool of blood, the duo looked over the scene, in an attempt to discern what had happened.

"What do you think caused this?" Shuhei asked, hesitantly.

"It must have been Captain Kuchiki..." Renji muttered. "But... I don't see him anywhere..."

"He's dead..." suddenly came a voice from behind the pair. Rukia Kuchiki stepped forwards, her head hanging down. Her eyes were puffed up from where she had been crying.

"Rukia!" Renji gasped, turning towards her. He grabbed her by the shoulders."What do you mean, he's dead? What happened?!" Distress held his face like a vice.

"The enemy could control insects..." Rukia said, looking up into her friends eyes and trembling. "If Nii-Sama didn't do what he did... Everyone could have been killed... He- He sacrificed himself to kill all of them."

"No!" Renji shouted. "That's not true! He can't be dead! He can't be!"

"Renji, I-"

Gritting his teeth, the red-haired Lieutenant closed his eyes and bowed his head. "He can't be dead..."

"I'm sorry..." Rukia whispered, reaching up and cupping the side of her friend's face.

Behind her, Yachiru Kusajishi lowered her head and stood in silence, out of respect. Her pink hair hung around her face and fluttered in the wind.

All around the group, everything settled into silence. Comforting calm clung to the air and enveloped them all as they came to terms with their Captain's demise.

"Well well well!" called out a voice, echoing across the destruction.

The Shinigami's heads all shot up, in an attempt to place its origin. Stood on the top of a nearby spire was a woman. Her hair was long and toned purple and red; the sides shaved close to her scalp. Billowing behind her was a deep red cloak.

Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) lifted her arms to her sides and began to laugh. "I thought I might be able to catch one or two stragglers, that came to investigate... But four? Today must be my lucky day."

"By which she means, we do all the work and she gets all the credit," said another feminine voice.

Stepping out onto the roofs flanking Lenora's spire, no less than six more Sternritter revealed themselves.

"I'm not in the mood for your insubordination, Clarlonde!" Lenora spat out, drawing her sword. "You follow my orders!"

"Whatever you say, Miss," Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) replied, saluting in a mocking fashion. The white military cap that she wore slipped down the side of her white and black hair.

"Don't you think four verses seven is a little unfair?" Dientlynne Deiweiber (Sternritter U) asked, with a dazed look on her face. She lifted one finger to her lips and tilted her head to the side.

"If you think that, I'd be happy to sit this one out..." Snow (The Yuki-Oni) muttered, scratching the side of his head and yawning.

"If he gets a free pass, then so do I," Clarlonde interjected.

Lenora leapt down from the top of the tower and landed in the midst of the group. "This is an order from His Majesty, Yhwach, himself. No one is to be sitting back. If there are more of us than them, then all the better to wipe them out quickly."

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) glanced at her, sideways. As usual, the small amount of his face that was exposed, was gripped by unwavering melancholy. "She has got a point."

Stood at the back of the group, Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) said nothing. Lowering her head, she attempted to hide her face behind her bright blue fringe.

"So..." Di said, stretching out the word and gazing off into space, through jaded pink eyes. "Is anyone going to stop them escaping?"

The Sternritter team suddenly realised that, in their bickering, they had given the Shinigami Lieutenants ample opportunity to make their getaway.

"Oh, I don't think so," Lenora hissed, pulling up one bright red lip and exposing her teeth. Tensing the muscles in her neck, she snapped her fingers.

The ground underfoot suddenly began to shake. A mere fraction of a second later, a gigantic white wall shot up out of the ground, completely encasing the area inside a massive circle. Hundreds of feet high, it easily blocked off the Soul Reapers' escape route.

Digging their feet into the ground, Rukia and Shuhei stopped short of the wall. Yachiru, who was gripping onto the back of Rukia's Shihakusho, also managed to stop in time. Renji, unfortunately, was not so lucky. Spurred on by the speed boost he had gained after training in the Royal Palace, he slammed face first into the structure.

Falling backwards, he grasped at his face and cried out in pain, just as the blood began to trickle down from his forehead.

"At least you're good for something, besides running your mouth," Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) said, stepping forwards and talking over the sound of Renji's screaming. Billowing up behind him, his long white trench coat caught the wind.

"You dare-"

"Do you really think it's a good idea continuing to argue like this?" Eric cut in, stopping Lenora short. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to finish this quick."

Kicking off from the ground, Eric rocketed through the air in the direction of the Shinigami. Forming from the ambient reishi in the air, a huge scythe appeared in his hands. Lunging forwards, he took a swing at the gathered Lietenants.

"Reap, Kazeshini!" Shuhei clashed against the Sternritter in a blaze of sparks.

Eric peered through the eyeholes of his skull mask, his face flat. "Interesting... Your Zanpakuto is a lot like my weapon."

Shuhei forced him back and leapt after him. Locking weapons with the Quincy again, she shouted over his shoulder at his comrades. "Scale the wall! Quick!"

Jumping into the air, the remaining trio attempted to escape. Even with Renji's increase in strength, to take on seven enemy soldiers would have been suicide.

As they climbed, spikes shot out from the surface. Leaping back, to avoid injury, they landed atop a building, the tiles cracking beneath their feet.

No sooner had they landed, spiritual arrows began to lash towards them. Flashes of blue and white flashed through the air, before exploding against buildings and walls, as the Shinigami dodged. The six other Sternritter all stood, firing upon the group, in an attempt to end the fight quickly.

"Damn it!" Renji hissed, releasing his Shikai and slashing at the arrows, to defend himself.

Shuhei, still engaged in furious combat with Eric, shouted over his shoulder. "Why aren't you running?!"

"Spikes on the wall!" Renji answered, still deflecting the shots. "I don't know how they're doing it, but we can't get out!"

"Shit..." Shuhei flicked his Zanpakuto upwards, deflecting Eric's scythe, and leapt back. Throwing one of his own twin scythes, Shuhei pulled on the connecting chain, sending it spinning through the air and controlling its path.

Eric knocked the attack aside, with the flat of his weapon and broke into a slight smirk.

"Don't let up on them!" Lenora shouted, ordering her fellows to continue the barrage of Heilig Pfeil. "Force them into a corner!"

"We know," Snow groaned, glancing at the Soldat Grand Mistress out of the corner of his pale eyes. Every so often, he would lazily shoot another arrow. "You don't need to remind us how to do our jobs. It was our idea in the first place."

"Lenny, I'm bored..." Di whined, lolling her head to the side and pouting as she shot. "Do I have to help you with this?"

"I told you not to call me that!" Lenora snipped, swinging her sword threateningly. "That there is Renji Abarai! He's the one that trained in the Soul Palace and killed Asuma. If we can kill him here, this war is going to go a lot more smoothly!"

"Ohhhh okay!" Di said, as if coming to a sudden realisation. Dispersing her bow, she leapt into the air and began to charge through the hail of arrows, towards Renji. Around her body, her long curly blonde hair whipped up in a frenzy.

"What are you doing?!" Lenora shouted after her.

Di glanced over her shoulder. "Well if he's such a problem, I'm going to kill him," she said in an innocently matter-of-fact manner.

Watching her comrade charge forwards, Clarlonde sighed in an amused fashion as she continued to launch bolts from her reishi crossbow. "She's such an airhead... No use reasoning with her now."

Ahead of the group of Sternritter, Renji continued to deflect the shots with Zabimaru's Shikai. Heilig Pfeil rebounded and flew away from him, along numerous different angles, before exploding against buildings.

Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the hilt. His eyes strained. It was all he could do to keep up with the numerous different arrows screaming towards them. Unfortunately, this meant that he was distracted from any other form of attack.

"Hey there!"

Suddenly popping up in front of Renji, Di smiled widely. One of her hands shot out and grabbed hold of Zabimaru, holding it in place. As she did so, her free hand manifested a bow and railed an arrow into Renji's chest, point blank.

Flung back by the force of the blast, Renji slammed into the side of a building, cracking the white bricks beneath his back. The blonde Sternritter loosened her grip and released the Zanpakuto, allowing it to follow behind him.

"I'll be damned," Snow muttered, lifting one hand to his head, to shield his eyes from the sun. "She actually got him!"

"It's because she's so unpredictable," Basilisk replied, dispersing his bow and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "He probably didn't think that anyone would charge him through that swarm of arrows."

Still, Adelaid said nothing. Her eyes lingered on the floor and her bright blue hair fluttered around her face.

Clarlonde de-materialised her own bow and folded her arms across her chest, leaning forwards and squinting her purple eyes. "Eric's doing pretty well as well. That weapon of his looks pretty awkward to use, but the other guy is wielding something similar..."

Pointing to Adelaid, Lenora shouted: "You! I want you to go after the two girls. You're the fastest here. They've taken to the streets; find them! Do not let them escape!"

Adelaid merely nodded. Jumping from the roof on which they were stood, she landed on the road. Activating Hirenkyaku, she vashished from sight.

"This is chaos..." Lenora hissed through her teeth. "This isn't what I wanted to happen. We were supposed to finish this quickly!"

"But where is the fun in that?" chuckled a voice, from behind Lenora. "I quite enjoy a dash of chaos!"

The group of four Sternritter all turned and leapt back, gaining distance between themselves and the new arrival. Assaulting their eyes, the instant they turned, was a bright white glare.

"Oh no..." Basilisk muttered, through his half-mask, pulling his hood down to shield his eyes.

"What on earth is that?" Lenora asked, lifting her forearm to block her eyes from the light.

"Lets see..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi grinned, laughing from within his glowing costume. "One, two, three, four. Four! Hmm... That may be one too many, but I guess I can adapt. One of you will just have to die before we start."

* * *

Even as far away as they were, the group of Lieutenants and Captain Hirako could see the enormous wall rising up from the ground.

"Now that's ominous..." Shinji muttered, stopping to look at the structure.

"That's definitely a Sternritter's ability," Nanao said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "With that and all those bugs heading in the same direction, a while ago, I think we know where the majority of people are going to be heading..."

"Which means that it's the perfect opportunity for us to move, without being spotted!" Izuru cut in.

"Exactly," Nanao confirmed.

Taking to the sky, the group leapt from building to building. They had figured out where the Research and Development Institute would have been, using the sun as a reference. At the pace they had been previously moving at, it would have taken them several hours to get there. However, now that they had a distraction, they could move much faster.

They all moved quickly and precisely. In spite of the distraction, they made as little noise as possible. The last thing that they needed was to become careless and run into an enemy.

That was when they felt it. Spiritual pressure.

So crushing and heavy that it almost ceased to feel like spiritual pressure. It felt as if there were an ocean in the sky, and every drop was pushing down on them at once.

"What the hell?!" Shinji cried, his legs trembling beneath him. Beads of sweat formed on his face, before dripping upwards.

Around him every single one of the Lieutenants' legs gave way beneath them. Their eyes opened wide, their pupils pin-pricking from the sheer stress.

_This is insane... _Shinji thought. _I haven't felt anything like this since old man Yama! Where the hell is it coming from?!_

His eyes narrowed as he attempted to discern the location of the massive Reiatsu. Shinji's teeth began to chatter and the chilling sweat clung to his robes.

Sat on the top of an overlooking tower, was a boy. He sat with one leg crossed over the other and his chin cupped in one hand. At a guess, he appeared not much older than sixteen. His hair was white and flared up from his head, like whisps of soft flame. On the right side of his head, trailing upwards, were several jets of black hair, matching his flat eyes. Over his clothes, he wore a large poncho, trimmed with red.

Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) broke into a silent smile, his lips curling in amusement.

_This Reiatsu is way too strong! _Shinji's mind screamed. _We knew that there were some enemies that were stronger than the average Captain, from the first invasion... But there was nothing anywhere near close to this! It feels like I'm swimming in tar!_

The Sternritter dropped from the sky and landed in the midst of the group of six. The instant he touched ground, they all locked up; frozen in fear. Standing up straight he leaned back and gazed, casually over one shoulder at Shinji. He smiled softly-

And punched him in the chest.

Zeit moved so fast that none of them even registered it. Shinji's sternum was crushed instantly. Blood spewed from the Captain's mouth, trailing in his wake as he flew through the air.

Reacting to the attack, Ikkaku and Yumichika both released their Shikais.

Zeit turned to his left, rolling along the shaft of Hozukimaru. His left elbow slammed into Ikkaku's ribs, breaking several of them. As the Third Seat was catapulted through the air, the Quincy pulled his Zanpakuto from his hands. In one swift movement, he completed another turn and struck Yumichika around the face with the blunt end. He was knocked out in one strike.

Dropping the Zanpakuto, Zeit lifted his left arm and grabbed Izuru's blade, as it was brought down on him from above. Orange sparks shot out from his fist, contrasting with the luminous blue of his Blut-enhanced veins.

Wrenching the sword towards him, he slammed his right fist into the side of Izuru's face. Knocked out, he span through the air and landed in a heap.

Nanao found herself unconsciously stepping back. Her eyes were glazed and sweat gripped her face. Her shoes dragged through the ground; her body so wound up that she couldn't even lift her feet.

Zeit stopped his fluid movement and stood, with his hands on his hips. Leaning forward, he looked into Nanao's eyes. He tilted his head and, as if to apologise, squinted his coal black eyes.

Standing up straight again, Zeit lifted his right arm and formed a small white bow from reishi.

"Cross of Scaffold!"

A luminous green blast cracked down from the sky, landing between the two and exploding.

The Sternritter jumped backwards, to defend himself, and dispersed his bow.

"Looks like we found ourselves a strong one!" shouted the man that had launched the attack. He wore a leather jacket and his hair was slicked back, out of his face.

"I'd usually accuse you of over exaggerating, Ginjo," another man said, touching down on the ground beside Nanao. He had long black hair and a scar across the left side of his forehead. Over his white shirt, he wore a pair of suspenders. "But I think you're right... Probably one of the strongest."

"So what do you say, Tsukishima?" chuckled Ginjo Kujo, slinging his gigantic sword over his shoulder and pointing down at Zeit. "You think we can take him?"

"I think we could give it a pretty good try," Shūkurō Tsukishima replied, smirking.


	37. Slipstream

**Chapter 37: Slipstream**

Zabimaru ripped through the air, towards the female Sternritter. Dientelyn Deiweiber (Sternritter U) leaned out of the way, not once breaking eye contact with Renji. Her white frilly dress billowed in the wind, matching the movement of her long blonde hair.

The woman moved in an unpredictable manner, swaying in an out of the path of his attacks. Once Renji became accustomed to her rhythm, she would suddenly stop and change her pacing; almost as if she had become distracted and decided to venture down a different route.

Gritting his teeth, Renji tightened his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. He needed to finish the fight quickly. If he didn't, he would soon be mobbed by more of the enemies.

"BAN-!"

Another arrow caught him in the chest, stopping him mid-release.

Di chased after him, as he was propelled by the explosion, all the while launching more arrows at the Lieutenant.

Raising his head, Renji registered the girl charging him. He lifted Zabimaru to take a slash at her, however she moved so fast that by the time he had initiated the attack, she was already inside his range.

Di reared up her right arm for an attack-

And slapped him across the face.

Renji broke into a dazed and bemused expression. "Did you just-?"

He never got to finish his statement. Reversing the motion of her body, almost as if moving in a figure of eight, Di slammed her left fist into the side of the Lieutenant's face. Taken completely by surprise, he was whipped off on his feet by the force and his head cracked into the ground beneath him.

Jumping back, she dusted off her lacey dress and broke into a bright smile. Her pink eyes gleamed out from her face. "I don't think I'm doing too bad!" she exclaimed. "And Lenny said that you beat Asuma... I thought you'd be stronger." Tilting her head to the side, she pouted.

Staggaring to his feet, Renji glared at the girl through his dazed vision. She had hit him harder than he thought. Once more, his trembling hand tightened its grip on the hilt of Zabimaru.

Placing her finger onto her lips, Di sighed. "We were told not to let anyone use their Bankai if we could help it... But this is boring."

Renji retreated backwards one step. Unease filled his body.

"Use your Bankai!" Di said, breaking into a wide smile, and pointing at her opponent. Her rose eyes began to glitter. "It's going to be much more fun if you use it, and I won't be as bored."

"Are you crazy?" the red-haired Shinigami asked, his eyes opening wide.

"I just don't want you to suffer," she replied, strangely sympathetic. "And while it will be more fun for me, it would also mean that you'd suffer less... Maybe."

Renji looked stunned. Never did he imagine an enemy prompting him to use his Bankai. He was weighing his options. The girl didn't appear to be as physically strong as Asuma, but that didn't mean she was any less dangerous. Her strange movements meant that she was landing a lot more hits on him; and that wasn't even taking into account what her power could be.

"What letter are you?" Renji suddenly shouted at her.

Di pulled a curious face. "I didn't think you'd ask me that. Just my letter? Don't you even want to know my name?"

"Okay then," Renji grunted. "What's your name?"

"My name is Dientelyn Deiweiber," she beamed. "And my letter is the letter U! But I don't think I should tell you what it means. Lenny might get mad at me if I do."

Renji's mind whirled in an attempt to think of every work he knew that began with a U. It didn't help that he didn't know very many of them.

He soon gave up trying to figure out what her ability could be. "To hell with it... BANKAI! Sou'ou Zabimaru!"

* * *

"So why are we running again?" Yachiru Kusajishi asked Rukia, looking up at her comrade as they sped between buildings and over rubble.

"Because there are four enemies," Rukia said, hurriedly. "How could we possibly take on that many of them at once?"

"Well if Kenny were here, he would say that we should just hack our way through them!" Yachiru laughed in response.

"As much as I'd love to be able to do that," Rukia replied. "We are nowhere near strong enough to do that with enemies like this."

"We won't know unless we try!"

Rukia pulled an annoyed expression. "I'd forgotten how lousy you were at sening Reiatsu..."

Yachiru turned around. "Lets charge in and take a wild swing."

The Thirteenth Division Lieutenant grabbed the back of Yachiru's Shihakusho and lifted her off of the floor. "No."

Flailing around, the pink-haired girl began to cry out. "Come on, let me go! I can take care of them!"

A bright red flash seared through the sky, as Renji released his Bankai.

"See!" Yachiru cried, pointing over the buildings. "Renji-chan knows how it's done! All guns blazing!"

An arrow flew past them and detonated at the end of the street, engulfing it in blue reishi fire.

Glancing over her shoulder, Rukia placed the form of a young woman chasing them. She had bright blue hair and wore a pair of white short shorts and blue stockings.

Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) let loose another arrow towards them.

Dropping the small girl, Rukia unsheathed her sword and swung it towards the arrow. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Upon contact with her blade, the arrow was frozen solid; falling to the ground and shattering into numerous shards.

Rukia locked eyes with the girl facing her. Adelaid's face remained flat.

"Ow! That wasn't very nice!" Yachiru cried, lifting her head. After Rukia had dropped her, he had landed face first into the ground. She pointed up at her comrade. "That really hurt."

Adelaid eyed her, with a bemused expression on her face. "She's..."

Rukia glanced away from Yachiru, back to the Sternritter. Something strange was happening. The young woman was beginning to tremble; her hair turning bright crimson red.

"She's adorable!" Adelaid leapt through the air, towards the two girls.

* * *

Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) formed a sword from reishi and lunged at Tsukishima. The blade of the Fullbring sliced clean through the reishi weapon. Digging his feet into the ground, Zeit stopped his advance just in time to avoid being cut.

Landing behind the boy, Ginjo took a swing with his oversized sword. Zeit bowed forwards, allowing the blade to fly over his head, towards Tsukishima.

Jumping back, Tsukishima avoided his friend's swipe. Slashing downwards with Book of the End, as opposed to attacking the Quincy, he cut the ground beneath him.

Zeit noted the movement, from his bowed position, and squinted his black eyes. Dipping and stepping to the side, he moved out of range of the two men, turning so that he was facing the both of them.

"There goes our two-front advantage," Ginjo sighed.

"All his movements are calculated," Tsukishima said. "He doesn't even move a finger out of place... We haven't so much as knicked him since this started."

Ginjo broke into a smirk. "How about I shake him up a bit." Pulling out his Substitute Shinigami Combat Pass, he slammed it into the guard of his sword. Purple light flashed outwards.

Zeit cautiously took a step back and formed two swords from airborne reishi into his hands.

Emerging from the light, Ginjo was clad in a suit of black and white bone-like armour. The guard of his blade held the visage of a skull, glaring out from the structure. Lifting the large sword, purple energy began to gather around it.

"Getsuga..."

The white-haired Sternritter's eyes opened wide.

Ginjo swung the blade downwards, launching a violet blast of spiritual energy. "Tensho!"

Zeit hurriedly crossed his two blades, blocking the attack. Exploding violently, the blast dwarfed the area in a veil of smoke.

Emerging from the haze, Zeit lunged at Ginjo. The sword in his right hand came down from above, only to be blocked by the Fullbringer's claymore. The Quincy's other sword came at him from the side, in an attempted slash at the man's face. Ginjo's right hand left the hilt of his sword, to block the attack with the guard fixed to his forearm.

Zeit's foot swung up and slammed into the Fullbringer's stomach. While the majority of the impact was absorbed by the armour, the force was still enough to take him off of his feet and send him flying.

Tsukishima appeared behind the young man, green Bringer Light flashing under his feet. His sword slashed downwards, in an attempt to strike Zeit across his back.

The Sternritter turned his feet inwards and, almost as if he knew his foe was behind him, span on the spot. His two blades shot up, in a cross position, wedging Book of the End between them.

He's already figured out that my Fullbring can cut through anything?

Zeit swung his arms to the right, dragging Tsukishima's sword down and out of the way. De-materialising the sword in his left hand, he pulled the appendage back up, so that it was pointing at his enemy's face and formed a bow.

Tsukishima ducked, allowing the arrow to fly over his head. The shot collided with a nearby building and exploded, levelling the entire structure.

Ginjo appeared again, behind the white-haired young man. His blade was wrought with green light, in the shape of an even larger sword. The blast cracked downwards, eclipsing Zeit's form in light, as Tsukishima leapt backwards.

The Sternritter leapt out of the blast and landed on the top of a low house. His clothes were slightly singed and his hair tussled, but little else seemed out of place.

All of a sudden, the roof caved beneath him.

Falling into the rubble, he was once again dwarfed in smoke and debris.

This obscured his vision just long enough for Ginjo to launch another attack. Leaping into the air, he swung Cross of Scaffold down in a wide arc. Purple spirit energy trailed in its wake as he did so. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Another violent explosion rocked the area.

Touching down next to Tsukishima, Ginjo peered into the smoke of the ruined building. "Good call inserting yourself into the past of this environment."

"I thought it would be best to plan ahead..." He quickly glanced sideways at his friend before returning his attention to the wreckage and holding his stance. "Likewise with the Getsuga."

"I figured that he wouldn't expect Kurosaki's technique," he replied, lowering his brows. "Did you notice it?"

"Yes," replied the taller man. "So it wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me."

Zeit emerged from the smoke and dusted off his poncho. He was taller than he was before and his jawline more defined. Emerging from the bottoms of his sleeves, his hands were larger and more muscular.

"He's been getting older since we started fighting him..." Tsukishima said, completing the pair's train of thought.

* * *

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi..." Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) hissed between her teeth.

"The one and only," Mayuri cackled in response.

"I thought you were sent to kill him," Snow (The Yuki-Oni) whispered to Basilisk Jones (The Dimension). "Why isn't he dead?"

"He was more well-prepared than we anticipated," Basilisk replied. "So I moved for a tactical retreat."

"So you ran away," Lenora spat out, not once taking her eyes off of the glowing form of the Captain.

"An apt decision," Mayuri chuckled. "And I haven't even shown you a fraction of what I have up my sleeves."

"He's got the higher ground..." Basilisk muttered under his breath, to Lenora.

"Not for long," she replied, smirking.

Stomping her foot down hard, Lenora emitted a shockwave that rippled across the surroundings. The building on which Maryuri stood shrank and flattened into the ground, along with several others close to him. The group of four Sternritter simultaneously rose up atop a large podium.

Leaping from the platform, Clarlonde Emcell took to the air. Pointing down towards Mayuri with her index finger, she began to fire thin blasts of light at him.

Dodging the shots, Mayuri noted the ground beneath where they had struck. They left shiny poc-marks, as if they had melted the surface.

"Nemu," he said, jumping into the sky, to avoid another blast.

"How long?" Nemu replied, jumping in unison and pulling out several ball-like objects.

"Three seconds."

Nemu tossed the spheres down at Clarlonde, as the Quincy landed. Lifting her head, the Sternritter fired several more blasts from her finger at the balls, completely running them through. Two of the penetrating shots hit Mayuri in the arm, burning clean through his flesh and bone.

"Those things you're shooting aren't reishi," Mayuri hissed, smiling and touching down on the ground, with his Lieutenant at his back.

Clarlonde ignored him and lifted her other hand, sending a barrage of beams towards him.

As he ducked and dodged, the Captain's ostentatious suit began to slowly luminesce less and less. The glow flickered and dimmed.

Mayuri again began to laugh. "You're stealing the light energy from my suit!"

One of the shots seared into him, burning a hole cleanly through his right shoulder.

"A photon cannon," he mused, ignoring the melted flesh of his wound. "Absolutely fascinating. I had thought my research of Quincys was complete, but the more this war drags on, the more I find things piquing my interest. Splendid. Splendid!" He dodged another of the laser blasts. "However, this just won't do. I can't have you using my invention to fuel your attacks."

The glowing suit that surrounded him burst, like a giant balloon. Beneath it, he was revealed to be naked. His body bore numerous scars and bolts from his many thousands of self-modifications. Limp blue hair hung down from a small patch atop his mostly shaved head.

"Nemu, yours too," he said, as his daughter's own glowing outfit exploded. "Though a tactical retreat may be in order, to obtain more clothes..."

"Don't think you're getting away," Snow muttered, appearing behind him. Sprouting from his forehead were a pair of long thin horns. All around him, a blizzard was whipped up.

"Hmpf," Mayuri scoffed. "If you believe this is enough to freeze me, you're sorely mistaken. I've already modified my body to withstand temperatures much colder than this."

A pair of spikes, formed from the concrete of the street shot up from the ground and pierced the Captain's torso. Watching, through the snowstorm, Lenora broke into a smirk.

"Too bad, so sad," Mayuri sighed apathetically, spitting out blood from between his teeth. "I've already removed and replaced all of my internal organs." His yellow eyes narrowed. "However, I'm getting tired of this..."

Clarlonde shot another beam of white hot light through his torso. The spikes retracted back into the ground, allowing him to bleed out onto the ground.

Mayuri barely reacted. Instead he staggered to the side, his face blank. Reaching up with his left hand, he cracked his neck and casually spat out more blood from between his teeth.

"Do you people ever listen?" he grunted, glaring at the group of Sternritter. "As much as I enjoy observing you, doing so up close is just too tiresome. I'd much rather do so from a distance..." He glanced over his shoulder and past Snow, at something on the far reaches of his vision.

"You're awfully confident," Lenora said, raising one eyebrow. "I know you're well prepared, but do you really think you're going to be able to survive a fight against all four of us?"

"Of course not," Mayuri chuckled. "Which is precisely why I will no longer be fighting you."

Three figures appeared, wading through the blizzard. Dressed in tattered white uniforms, their faces were set solid and stoic. Fragments of bone-like mask were fixed either on or around their faces. Strange scars, like the kind from extensive surgeries, were present all over their bodies, covering almost every part of their exposed skin.

"Arrancar... Do be dears and clean up this mess for me." Mayuri broke into a psychotic grin.


	38. Marching Out The Zombies

**Chapter 38: Marching Out The Zombies**

Black shoes clacked against the floor, stark against the snow that now littered the ground. Long brown hair flared up behind the man's head. Tapping against his chest was a fragment of jawbone-like mask. Numerous scars and stitches extended out of hole that glared out from his chest.

The Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk, glanced sidelong at Mayuri and squinted his greying blue eyes.

The second man swept one hand back through his well-oiled black hair, momentarily touching the horned enamel plate that was fixed to his forehead. His lips twisted into a grin, distorting the stylised van dyke beard that adorned his chin.

Privaron Espada #103, Dordoni Alessandro Del Soccacio, began to chuckle under his breath and eyed the Sternritter with amusement.

Long purple hair billowed around the final man's muscular form, his fringe catching the white tiara atop his head. Almost ludicrously huge lips pursed out into a pout and long eyelashes began to flicker.

"Hohohoho... Behold, I have returned from beyond the grave! The most beautiful being in all creation! Princess Charlotte Chuhlhourne!" he cried out, striking a flamboyant pose before pointing at the group of Sternritter. "Prepare yourselves, for even if you capture my heart, you shall not be leaving here alive!" He winked one icy blue eye.

Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) took a step back, stunned by the sheer ridiculousness of what had just occurred. Her deep purple eyes blinked several times in confusion.

"Hey!" Dordoni shouted, striding up behind Mayuri's bloody naked form. He held one hand up to his forehead, peering into the distance. "Where is the orange haired Niño? You told me that I would be able to fight him, yet I don't see him anywhere!"

"He hasn't arrived yet," Mayuri muttered. "However that is besides the point. You three are to keep those," he pointed at the four Quincy soldiers, "busy."

"No no no no no no no!" Dordoni began to wag his finger frantically. "I am not some attack dog that you can- AAAHHHH!"

The Arrancar's form began to spasm as he screamed in pain. Mayuri's thumb had depressed the button of a small switch that he held in his hand. "You will do as I say."

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) suddenly appeared behind the Primera Espada, almost as if he had been painted onto the floor. After a brief mutter of "San", his form suddenly swung up, filling out into three dimensions. His left arm was raised and held a short knife formed from reishi. Striking out, he attempted to stab Starrk in the back.

A deep blue flash seared out from between Starrk's shoulder blades. It occurred without warning and was so fast, Basilisk had no time to react. The cero eclipsed the Sternritter's form in spirit energy before exploding violently.

Basilisk stumbled from the smoke, holding up two fingers. His clothes were burnt and his skin seared. "Nii." Once more his body flattened into the ground.

"I got one," Starrk sighed apathetically. Scratching the side of his head, he began to yawn. "Can I go back to the lab now?"

"Starrk, what are you saying!" a small girl with green hair began to shout, seemingly appearing from nowhere and tackling him. "You can't just act like you're giving up! You're the strongest! And if we don't do what he says, then-!"

Mayuri depressed the switch in his hand again, electrocuting the pair.

"See what you've done Lilynette..." Starrk groaned, all but ignoring the shock and averting his eyes lazily.

"What I've done?!" she screamed, thrashing atop him as the current rippled through her muscles. "This is clearly your fault!"

"Enough of this!" Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) snapped, stomping down on the ground. Spikes rose up from the grounf and shot towards Mayuri and his Arrancar zombies.

Leaping backwards, the group avoided the attack.

"So rude!" Charlotte cried, pointing at the enemy commander. "An ugly face and an even uglier personality! You vile woman!"

Lenora's face twitched. A prominent vein began to bulge atop her temple. She glanced around at her three comrades.

"Kill them all."

Clarlonde raised both of her hands and began to fire her light cannons at her opponents. The brunt of the attack was directed at Charlotte.

Ducking and dodging the blasts, the muscular Arrancar retreated backwards. The Sternritter woman continued to advance upon him.

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) kicked off from the ground and raised one hand in an attempt to throw a punch. Starrk grabbed hold of his arm around the wrist and stared lazily into the effeminate Quincy's eyes.

"I'd really rather not do this," Snow muttered, half-heartedly.

The First Espada returned his opponent's apathetic stare and spoke, their words overlapping. "But orders are orders."

Dordoni leapt across the ground, chasing the shadow-like form of Basilisk into the distance as the Sternritter attempted to flee.

Mayuri had already vanished, retreating from the battlefield.

Lenora surveyed the numerous fights occurring within her circular wall. Her lips twisted into a smile. "This situation is less than ideal... But I can at least give us the home field advantage."

The entire area began to shake. Rock leapt into the air as more walls shot up into the sky, sealing off the fights into their own seperate locations. Riding one of them up into the sky, Lenora began to chuckle and looked down into the different arenas that she had created.

"I just need to alter the battlefields to benefit my men."

* * *

Shuhei Hisagi and Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) clashed against each other. Bright orange sparks flickered through the air.

As the walls sealed them off from the other fights, they broke away from each other and broke into bemused expressions. Beneath their feet, the rubble and buildings all sunk down, until the ground was completely flat.

"Damn that Lenora..." Eric muttered. "Stop interfering like this, I had this under control."

Kazeshini ripped through the air, spinning towards Eric. Ducking his head, he allowed the Zanpakuto to sail over him before lunging forwards and striking out with his scythe.

Shuhei pulled his hands along the chain of his Zanpakuto, stretching it taut to block the slash. Twising his hands and rotating his arms, Shuhei wrapped the chain around the blade and pulled it from Eric's hands.

As opposed to diving for his weapon, Eric remained calm. Without missing a beat, he lifted his right arm and struck Shuhei around the face.

Stunned by the sudden hit, Shuhei's head rocked backwards. This allowed the Quincy to make a dive for his weapon. Snatching it up, he swung it sideways and slashed the Lieutenant across the stomach.

The cut was shallow.

A habit born from his time as Tōsen's Lieutenant saved him. The former Captain had always told him that fear was a natural part of battle; that he should embrace it. As a result, whenever he released his Shikai, he would restrain himself by half a step; never advancing forward too far and always retreating in excess.

Tugging on the chain of his blade, Shuhei pulled his weapon back towards him and jumped back.

Eric avoided the attack by sidestepping.

Catching his weapon, the Lieutenant took up a combat stance.

_Thank you, Captain T-..._ His mind stopped short. _Wait... Who am I thanking? And why?_

Slinging the scythe up onto his shoulder, Eric tilted his head to the side and peered through the eyeholes in his mask. "That's one."

Shuhei pulled a confused face. "What do you...?"

"That's one memory gone," Eric responded. "I'm sorry for taking it, but it's not something that I can control."

"What are you talking about? Taking memories?"

"That's what my Schrift is," the man in the skull mask replied. "I am Sternritter R: The Reaper. Every time you're cut by my scythe, I reap one of your memories. It's a horrible power; it leaves you a shell of a man. An empty husk." The glow of his blue eyes began to slightly fade. "It was born from my desire to erase my own horrible memories... But it doesn't work on myself. And even if I wanted to remove memories that others didn't want, I can't choose which." He gritted his teeth tightly. "It's far too cruel."

Shuhei swallowed hard and gripped the poles of Kazeshini tightly.

Eric removed the scythe from across his shoulders and took up a combat stance. "I could make this easier on you and kill you with one attack, if you'd like... I'd rather you not suffer."

* * *

"Whirl! Giralda!"

Twin typhoons roared through the air, repeatedly slamming into the ground. Dust and rubble blasted out, in the wake of every attack.

Lenora had altered their battlefield to create numerous different flat surfaces, at varying angles and locations. Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) was using this to his advantage, moving almost exclusively in his two dimensional form and slipping in and out of sight.

"Why do you flee, Jovenzuelo?" Dordoni shouted over the roar of his attacks. "You run and hide in the cracks!" Another one of his attacks obliterated the flat surface of a wall. "Like a rat!"

Basilisk ignored the Arrancar's chiding, continuing his course of action. Maintaining his flat form, he moved fast from surface to surface. His goal was to move out of Dordoni's line of sight long enough to hide and sneak up on him.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. The Privaron Espada's Resurrección was extremely destructive. The cyclones that were spewing from his legs carried so much force that everything in their path was instantly crushed.

Fragments of rock and concrete blasted through the surroundings. The sounds of destruction perforated the air, accompanied by the roar of the whirlwinds.

"Is this the power that has decimated the Soul Society?" Dordoni screamed. "You disappoint me!"

"San."

Basilisk sprang up and formed a large bow in his hands. He began to launch arrows at the Arrancar.

Tearing through the winds, the shots began to explode around Dordoni, sending shockwaves ripping through the area.

"Yes!" he cried, his eyes opening wide and his lips parting to reveal a wide toothy grin. "This is more like it!"

One of the typhoons charged towards the Quincy, as Dordoni launched a kick. Basilisk ducked to the side and fired another series of arrows at the Arrancar.

Raising his arm, to defend himself, Dordoni's vision was obscured as one of the shots detonated against his Hierro-enhanced wrist. Swinging his hand to the side, his hissed between his teeth and swatted the resulting smoke aside.

His stylised eyebrows arched high on his forehead. The Sternritter was gone. Basilisk had used the distraction of the explosion to escape from sight.

"Tch!" he tutted between his teeth. "Cheap tricks, my friend!"

Around him, every surface that he had destroyed was repaired and returned to its original pristine, flat state. Lenora had obviously repaired them, using her strange ability to alter the environment.

Turning his body, as the cyclones erupting from the exhaust spouts on his legs kept him hovering midair, he scanned the area with his eyes. His eyebrows lowered and the beard on his chin distorted as he pulled an expression of distaste.

"You are underestimating me, Jovenzuelo!"

The twin tornados increased in intensity. The two cyclones emerging from them, adorned with bone-like bird heads, began to thrash violently.

"If you will not show yourself, then I will make you reveal yourself!" he shouted, arching his back and throwing his arms out to his sides. "Ave Mellizos!"

The bird-like whirlwind extensions reared up into the air and began to ripple. Splitting and growing, they increased in number from two to twelve.

Thrashing and striking out, they began to obliterate the surrounding area. Chunks of rock blasted through the air and dust followed the currents of the wind, whipping up into the sky.

"Run while you can!" Dordoni shouted, continuing his path of destruction. "For I will find you!"

* * *

"Why are you running away?" Charlotte cried, leaping after Clarlonde and taking a swing with his sword. "Does my beauty intimidate you, girl?"

"Don't take it personally," the Sternritter replied, retreating back. "I'm more of a long distance fighter."

The Arrancar was clearly physically superior, however Clarlonde proved to be much more nimble. Throughout the course of their exchange, he hadn't landed so much as a glancing blow.

Clarlonde, on the other hand, had managed to land several shots on the large man, from both her photon cannon and her Heilig Pfeil. She was aiming to wear him down and chip away at his defences from a distance.

She knew that if he was able to get close to her, she would be finished. While her Reiatsu was indisputably greater, it was clear that he trumped her in terms of physical strength. Add into the equation that he was an Arrancar, and the threat of hollow poisoning from any wounds he dealt her, and she would be in more than a little trouble if he landed a clean hit.

"If you won't fight me up close, then so be it!" Charlotte cried, raising his fist. "Prepare to feel the wrath of Beautiful Charlotte Chuhlhourne's Ultimate Blazing, Amazing, Appraising, Super Sexy... BALA!"

Throwing a straight right punch, Charlotte launched a projectile of bright pink hardened spirit energy from his fist. A sonicboom cracked through the air as the projectile broke through the sound barrier.

Clarlonde's deep purple eyes shot open in surprise.

Leaping to the side, she barely avoided the attack. The blast crashed into the building behind her, obliterating the structure.

_Was that really a Bala?_ the Female Sternritter thought, leaping from building to building. _I know they're supposed to be fast... but the destructive force!_

"Hoho!" Charlotte chuckled. "Trying to get away?"

Rapidly throwing a flurry of punches, the Arrancar sent a barrage of Balas screaming through the air at the Quincy.

Her mind racing as she dodged, Clarlonde began to weigh her options. _He's probably memorised the patten of my Heilig Licht, and my arrows don't have enough bite to damage him much. I may need to use more of my powers... But everything past the lasers drain me too much to use consecutively._

A shot of pink spirit energy wizzed over her head, vaporising her white military cap.

_Caution to the wind, it is._

Clarlonde raised one arm and pointed her hand at the Arrancar splaying her fingers.

Noting the movement, Charlotte raised one eyebrow. The motion and position of her fingers was different from anything he had seen the Quincy do before.

"Blendendes Licht!"

Light spewed from her hand. Burning, searing light. It was so intense, the feminine Arrancar could practically feel the fluid inside of his eyes boil.

Letting out a girlish shriekof pain, Charlotte clasped his face in his hands. "My eyes! What have you done to my beautiful eyes?!"

Clarlonde, breathing heavily, used the distraction to pepper the Arrancar with beams of light. Two burned through the toned muscles of his abdomen, while a third pierced cleanly through his arm.

Throwing himself to the side, still clutching his face, Charlotte broke through a wall and took refuge inside a nearby building.

"Curse that witch!" Charlotte hissed, rubbing his searing eyes in an attempt to regain his sight. "How dare she do that to me!"

Rising up from the shadows, thrown by the walls and furniture inside the building, a black figure began to advance upon the blinded Arrancar. It moved in a jerking and disjointed manner, like a marionette.

Clarlonde took several deep breaths and broke into a wide smile. _It may drain a lot of my energy, but now you're as good as dead. With my power of The Twilight, I can control light, darkness and everything in-between. I hope you're ready to die... Arrancar._

* * *

Coyote Starrk and Snow locked blades and stared half-heartedly over the steel and into each other's eyes. In the background, the sounds of the numerous other battles filled the air as a cacophony of explosions and shouts.

"Sounds like all your friends are fighting," Starrk said, slowly.

"Likewise," Snow retorted.

The air between them grew heavy with tension. Their eyes began to glow, not once averting. Breaking from their sword clash, their faces tightened.

"What do you say to taking a break?" Starrk suddenly asked, loosening his guard and sighing heavily.

Snow scanned his enemy, before breaking into a smile and dispersing his sword. The womanly man dropped to the floor, to sit and pushed his hair behind his ear. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Following suit, Starrk sheathed his own blade and lay down on the floor, clasping his hands behind his head.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Lilynette shouted, running up to her other half and kicking him repeatedly in the ribs.

"Just let him nap..." Snow muttered, yawning. "I'm not in any hurry to finish this..."

Lilynette's attention snapped towards the Sternritter. She was just about to scream at him, when she heard an odd sound. Starrk had started snoring.


	39. The Perfect World

**Chapter 39: The Perfect World**

Renji stood at the front of the great hall, gazing over the gathered crowd. He was swathed in the most luxurious robed that money could buy. Perched atop his forehead was an expensive, stylised visor. One that he had designed himself.

The hall was decorated with extravagant tapestries, cloths and gold sculptures. Golds, silvers and shimmering shades of white melded subtly with one-another.

The air smelt faintly of Takiyaki.

A subtle smile played across his lips as he watched her walk down the aisle.

Dressed in white robes, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her skin was dreamily pale like milk, and her hair glossy and black. Deep dark eyes shone from her face, as she returned the smile Renji was beaming towards her.

Reaching up slowly, she gently touched Byakuya's hand, that was resting on her shoulder.

Walking up to Renji, she left Byakuya behind. Gazing up into his eyes, she began to blush.

"I love you, Rukia," he said, not once breaking his smile.

"I love you too, Renji," she replied.

Renji's face glowed red. Averting his eyes in embarrassment, he spotted Ichigo in the crowd. The orange-haired young man flashed him a grin and threw him a "thumbs up" sign.

The overseeing minister stepped up, overlooking the pair. "Captain Abarai, Lieutenant Kuchiki. Are we ready to proceed?"

Renji and Rukia both nodded.

Elation flooded his body. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy. Warmth cascaded through his form; a comfortable and subtle heat.

The heat slowly began to build, eventually turning into a searing burn.

His eyes suddenly rolled back in his head and blood slipped from the corner of his mouth.

* * *

Eric Koertig (The Reaper) repeatedly clashed against Shuhei Hisagi. The shimmering metal of the scythes cracked together, orange sparks shooting out and sizzling to the floor.

Shuhei's arms and face were covered with shallow cuts. Deep crimson blood soaked his skin and glistened under the midday light.

"Give up," Eric said, his glowing blue eyes staring through the eyeholes of his skull mask. "At this point, I'd be surprised if you could even remember your own name."

Breathing hard, the Shinigami Lieutenant glared at the Sternritter. He gritted his teeth. "Shuhei... Hisagi..."

Eric stepped back, ever so slightly stunned. "I'm impressed."

"If I'm honest..." Shuhei gasped. "I can't even remember who you are... Or why we're fighting... All I know is that you are my enemy; and a very dangerous one at that."

"An enemy..." Eric mused. "I suppose that I am." The tendons in his neck rose up as he tensed. Every muscle in his body wound tight, like piano wire. "Do you want me to tell you why I am your enemy?"

Shuhei swallowed hard and said nothing. He used the conversation as an opportunity to catch his breath and clear his head.

The Sternritter began to grind his teeth together. "A lot of the others are doing it because His Majesty ordered us to. Blind submission. Some of them are attacking you out of fear. They're afraid of His Majesty's wrath, should they refuse."

"So then, which are you?" Shuhei asked, in an attempt to prolong the lull in combat.

"The second," Eric replied. "I'm afraid... There's no shame in me admitting that. However... There's another reason why you are my enemy."

The Lieutenant of Squad Nine narrowed his eyes and continued to breathe heavily. He waited for the Quincy to continue talking.

"My mother..." he uttered, slowly. "My mother was killed by a Soul Reaper. By one of you."

Eric reached up with his left hand and removed his mask. His eyes were brimming with tears, his cheek twitching as he attempted to hold them back.

At this point, Shuhei had no idea what a Soul Reaper was. In spite of that, however, his body was filled with an overwhelming sense of guild and responsibility. He felt as if he, or at least something to do with him, was responsible for what happened to this man calling himself his enemy.

"She was beautiful..." Eric said, softly. In spite of the tension that gripped his body, he managed a smile. "And kind, and loving, and... And everything a mother should be. She was my world."

The Shinigami Lieutenant loosened his grip on his twin scythes. His breathing grew slowly steadier.

"So why did she have to die?" As he spoke, a strong wind billowed up around the Sternritter, catching his long black hair. Blue fire blazed behind his eyes. "She did nothing wrong; nothing. Even now, I can hear the laughing of the Shinigami that ordered her dead... From where I was hiding, I could hear his voice. He gave her a number, he called her a 'sample'!"

_"That makes one-hundred and seventy six. Good work on another sample acquisition. Keheheheh..."_

Had Shuhei's memories been intact, he would have known exactly what had happened to Eric's mother. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's experiments on Quincy were so secret among the Gotei Thirteen. However, he knew nothing. Not even what to say as his enemy ranted and began to tremble.

"I hate Soul Reapers..." Eric spat out. "And yet... I still can't stand to see anyone suffering. So just... Don't make me do it. Don't make me take any more of your memories. Please just stop and die in peace."

"I'm sorry..." Shuhei replied, his breathing finally back to normal, and the dazed look leaving his eyes. "I can't do that. I may not remember much about who I am... But I do know that I cant let you leave here. Not when it means you attacking my comrades. Not when it means you doing this to other people."

"Fine," Eric said slowly, lowering his eyebrows. "You want this to continue, then so be it..."

Lunging forwards, the Sternritter began to slash at Shuhei. Over and over the steel slipped beneath the Lieutenant's skin.

Despite catching his breath, Shuhei was still taking hits from the Quincy's scythe. He had forgotten how to use his Zanpakuto. The grip, the movements, everything. He may as well have not been using a weapon at all.

Blood spattered the floor, stark red against the white concrete and stone. More and more wounds opened up all over Shuhei's body.

Eric, on the other hand, remained almost entirely unscathed.

His feet slipping on the blood underfoot, Shuhei's back found ground. No sooner had he fell, the blade of Eric's scythe swung down through the air at him.

Rolling to the side, the Lieutenant attempted to avoid the strike. Missing its intended target of his chest, the blade instead sank into the flesh of his arm. Crying out in pain, he scrambled across the floor, ripping the metal from his flesh.

Once again, his legs failed him, sending him sprawling across the ground.

**_This is just pathetic..._** a voice echoed through his mind. **_Why are you running? Attack him!_**

As he hurriedly attempted to avoid Eric's attacks, Shuhei responded to the voice. _Who are you?_

**_Hm, so it seems you can't even remember who I am, Shuhei. That's good._**

_Shuhei? Is that me?_

**_Well, I don't think it's him, you genius. But right now, that doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm the guy who's going to help you get out of this alive._**

_How are you going to do that? I don't even know how to use this weapon I'm holding!_

**_Believe it or not, this actually works to our advantage. It means you won't be hesitating. As it stood before, I don't think you had it in you to do it._**

Shuhei moved his head to the side, avoiding a strike from his enemy's scythe. _Do what? Why are you being so cryptic?_

**_I'm going to make you do what what you were born to do, the voice in his head echoed. You're going to start reaping some souls. You're going to use me to take life._**

Striking out with the blade in his right hand, Shuhei attempted to cut Eric across the face. The slash was avoided, however, as the Sternritter took a step back.

Shuhei felt his chest tighten as he thought about what the voice had said. Hesitation gripped him. Had his memories remained, he would have almost certainly ignored the voice and dismissed it.

_I..._

**_Do you want to die? Because that's exactly what's going to happen if you don't trust me!_**

Eric swung his weapon down at Shuhei's face, in an attempt to kill him with one final strike.

_Okay,_ his mind said. _I trust you..._

**_Good. Now... Repeat after me._**

"BANKAI! Gyakusatsu no Tatsumaki!"

* * *

Renji stood, holding Rukia's hands and staring into her eyes. He was still smiling, his teeth flashing brightly and his eyes creased.

Dripping from the corner of his mouth was a steady stream of bright red blood.

"I wonder what your perfect world is," suddenly came a voice from behind him. He could feel warm breath against his ear.

Dientlynne Deiweiber (The Utopian) giggled to herself and pushed a lock of her long curly blonde hair behind her ear.

Renji stood in the middle of the battlefield, clad in the garb of his Bankai. His arms were raised in front of him, as if holding someone's hands and his eyes stared vacantly off into space. Blood was trickling from his mouth, ears and the corners of his eyes.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" Di sighed, draping her arms over Renji's shoulder and leaning on him. "Everything you could possibly want, all happening at once."

Renji registered her words, but found himself unable to act. So enamoured with the vision surrounding him, he was incapable of even lifting a finger to attack the Sternritter.

"I know you were really sad, deep down," Di continued, scanning Renji's face with her bright pink eyes. "Everyone is. They all deny it and say that they're happy, but I know they're not. You are now, though. I've saved you and set you free! Now you're happier than you could have ever been."

The red-haired Shinigami's body began to shudder as he coughed. Blood sprayed out of his mouth in a crimson mist.

"It's just a shame that it hurts you," she said, stepping back and pouting. "I really wish it didn't, but at least when you die, you can die happy."

Falling to his knees, Renji's glazed eyes began to move rapidly in an attempt to place the Quincy. However, all he could see was the room. There was no battlefield; no rubble, smoke or blood. Instead he saw flowers, tapestries and Rukia's smiling face. He knew that he was in danger, but his body wouldn't respond the way that he wanted it to.

He could feel his organs shutting down one-by-one, however it was almost like he didn't care. Renji was in such a state of euphoria that he was all but ignoring just how much the Sternritter's ability was damaging him.

"I did think this would be more fun if you used your Bankai," Di said, taking a step back and clasping her hands behind her back. She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth into a definable "o", as if waiting for some kind of response from the Lieutenant. When she received none, she continued to speak. "Maybe you could have done some damage before the effects started..."

Beginning to pace absent-mindedly, Di stared off into space and started to hum.

Sweat was dripping from Renji's pores, gripping his skin and chilling him to his core. Retching, he coughed up more blood that spattered to the floor and soaked into the front of his Shihakusho.

Spinning on the balls of her feet, she began to circle the Lieutenant and flap her arms. "I'm really bored now... I knew I shouldn't have used it so soon..."

* * *

Ichigo continued to plummet through the sky, towards the Seireitei. Around his body, the robes given to him by Shutara caught the wind and flapped violently. The sun glared into his eyes, causing him to squint.

Around him, shockwaves burst outwards as Ichigo broke through the barriers separating the Royal Palace from the Seireitei.

Beneath him, Ichigo could sense clashes of Reiatsu. Even as far away as he was, he could feel the battles. He was unable to distinguish who was who, yet he still hoped for the best.

"Damn it..." he hissed through his clenched teeth. "I'm going as fast as I can, and I still won't be there for another hour... Please guys... Please be alright."

* * *

The crowd gathered in the room began to clap. Every single one of them bore expressions of joy; the smiles leaping out from their faces, brightly.

Through the cheers, Renji could hear the Sternritter's voice. He was barely able to make out the words, almost as if her voice was passing through a wall of cotton wool. His limbs moved slowly and sluggishly, the very atomosphere gripping him, like he was submerged in petroleum jelly.

_Come on... Move! You know this isn't real! You know you have to fight this!_ his mind screamed.

In an attempt to speak, his words caught in his throat.

As much as his mind wanted him to move and attack his enemy, his heart and his body wouldn't let him. They all but refused to do what he wanted.

"Renji?" Rukia asked, stepping closer to him and looking up into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

_No. Stop it. This isn't real! She's not real!_

"Please..." he just about managed to choke out. As he spoke, blood bubbled up his throat, from his burning lungs. "Please just stop this..."

"Stop what, Renji?" Rukia tiled her head to the side as worry gripped her soft features. "Talk to me. Tell me what it is..."

He could hear the Sternritter giggling. He felt a thousand miles away from it, and growing further away by the second.

"You're not real..." he said to Rukia. His lungs cramped and his stomach seemed like it was on fire. "You're not real..."

"What's the matter, Renji?" Ichigo cried out, running through the crowd and kneeling down next to him. "Don't tell me the famous Captain Abarai is suddenly getting cold feet?"

Renji's trembling hands reached up and clasped the sides of his head. "Stop it... Stop it. None of this is real!"

"What are you saying?" Ichigo laughed. "Of course this is real. You trip and hit your head on the way here, or something?"

Gasping for air, Renji felt the blood filling his lungs. Arcing his body forwards, he out his head to the floor and clasped his abdomen in pain. Tears poured from the corners of his eyes.

_I need to move! I need to get out of this! If I don't, they're going to kill everyone! I'm the only one that can stop it. Come on, damn it, move! I... I need to protect them all! I need to protect-_

Rukia placed on hand on the side of his face and lifted his head, so that he was looking into her eyes.

"There's no use in fighting against it," suddenly said Di's voice, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Renji..." Rukia whispered, her voice almost seeming to merge with the Sternritter's own. "It's okay to be happy."

_No more... I can't... I just can't._

Renji gritted his red-stained teeth and clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. The trembling that wracked his body intensified.

_I want this... _he admitted to himself. _I want this all so much that it physically hurts. But... But... I can't give myself to this. I need to fight it! I trained in the Royal Palace. I unlocked the true power of my Bankai. I can't die here!_

Rukia leaned on close to him, her eyes softening. "It's going to be okay..." she said, gently. Her lips pressed against his own in a calming kiss.

Tears poured down Renji's face and mingled with the blood that soaked both of their lips.

_Rukia, I'm sorry..._

Rukia's eyes snapped open wide, mid-kiss. Emerging from her back was a long straight blade. Vermillion red blood cascaded down and splashed onto the floor.

Renji let out a bloodcurdling scream of anguish so chilling that the very air around him grew cold.

The lavish room and decorations all began to shatter and fall apart, like panes of glass. The smell of Renji's favourite food faded from the air, carried away on the wind. The faces of the assembly began to melt and disappear, like watercolours on a canvas.

Rukia's form crumbled revealing a girl, dressed in white, with long rippling blonde hair.

Dientlynne Deiweiber (The Utopian) opened her bright pink eyes in shock. The blade of Renji's Bankai emerged from her back, from where he had stabbed her in the stomach.

"This isn't supposed to happen..." she gasped, her voice whimsical and vacant. Her bloodstained lips began to tremble, as if she was about to cry. "Why did you...? You were happy. I made you... Happy. I stopped you feeling sad. It was... Perfect. Why didn't you want it...?"

"It wasn't real," Renji choked out. "It was too perfect... And I knew... Outside of it-" He gagged and spat out more blood. "Outside was the real thing... And I needed to protect it...!"

"That's... So silly..." she chuckled under her breath, weakly. "You're just going to be disappointed. That's why you should let me... Make it perfect..."

"You're... Really that damaged..." Renji said, with an air of pity to his voice. "You actually believe what you're saying..."

"Just let me save you," she beamed, grasping hold of the blade running her through. "I can make it better! I can... Do it right this time! You can die happy!" Reaching out, she gripped Renji's Shihakusho and broke into a wide-eyed smile. "I can give you... Everything you've ever wanted!"

Renji gritted his teeth. "Hikotsu... Taihō."

Bright red spiritual energy began to glow and stream from the blade buried in the female Sternritter. Di's wound began to char and steam.

"I can make you happy!"

The blast of spirit energy cracked out through the sky, eclipsing the Quincy's form and vaporising her completely.

Dientlynne died with a smile on her face.

Renji dispersed his Bankai and collapsed face-down onto the floor, emerssed in a growing pool of blood. His breathing was laboured and his vision rapidly fading.

That was when he felt it.

The Reiatsu.

What stunned Renji was not its volume; in fact it wasn't that much different from the average Captain. The shocking thing about the Reiatsu was how dark and sinister it felt.

And yet, Renji found something familiar about it.

"Shu...hei...?"


	40. Der Tod Der Angst

**Chapter 40: Der Tod Der Angst**

Ginjo Kugo and Shukuro Tsukishima continued to lock blades with Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O).

Zeit had long since adapted to the cutting ability of Tsukishima's Book of the End. Even in spite of him fighting on two fronts, he was able to use the sword in his left hand to slap aside Tsukishima's blade before it was able to cut through his own weapon.

However that was not the thing that the Fullbringers were wary of. Over the course of their fight, Zeit had been growing progressively older. The boy that they had started fighting no longer existed. In his place, stood a man in his mid-thirties.

His frame was large, and his body toned and muscular. The hair atop his head still bore his distinctive white and back colouring and the style, like whisps of flame, yet it was indesputably longer. His jaw was squared and bore dark colouration from stubble.

Staring flatly out of his face, his coal black eyes analysed the moves of his enemies.

As Ginjo defended himself from a right handed slash, he called over his shoulder at Nanao. "Hey, Soul Reaper!" He stepped back before swinging his oversized blade at the Sternritter again.

Nanao all but ignored the Fullbringer, too focused on healing Captain Hirako.

"Soul Reaper!"

"What?!" Nanao snapped back.

Ginjo and Tsukishima continued to circle around the Sternritter and slash at him, their blades clashing. Sparks blazed through the air in vibrant flashes.

Zeit suddenly lifted his right foot and kicked Ginjo in the stomach. Sent flying, the large armoured man landed next to the Shinigami Lieutenant, leaving Tsukishima to engage him alone.

Spitting blood, Ginjo lifted himself up and turned towards Nanao. "Could really use some support right about now..." he ground out. "What do you say, fire off a Kido or two?"

"Listen," she replied. "I don't know who you two are, all I know is you're my allies for now. That being said, at this point, I'd be more of a hindrance than a help. The most I could do is heal Captain Hirako. That way you'd at least have someone of use on your side."

"Tch, fine..." he tutted, rising to his feet. "Just hurry up. I don't know how much longer we can hold this guy off."

In the back of his mind, Ginjo considered making use of his Bankai. The thought, however, was soon dismissed. He needed to hold it back and save it as a last resort, should the enemy choose to activate his Vollständig.

A shiver suddenly shot down his spine.

Nanao's body similarly locked up and her eyes widened.

Even in spite of the massive Spiritual Pressure of the Sternritter, they could feel something in the distance.

Zeit's Reiatsu was so huge that it felt as if they were swimming in tar, however, there was something different about what they felt. Despite not being anywhere near as monstrously huge, it felt sinister. It felt grim and threatening.

Even as he fought against Tsukishima, the Sternritter's eye flicked in the direction of the power source.

"What on earth is that...?" Ginjo whispered to himself.

"No way..." Nanao gasped. "That Reiatsu, it's... It's Shuhei..."

* * *

Eric Koertig (The Reaper) took a step back and pulled an expression of pure shock and dismay.

Shuhei rose from the ground, his beaten and bloody form radiating spiritual energy. Black and dark red Reiatsu spewed from his body, rippling and rising into the air in thick streams.

The sound of metal on metal rang through the air, as chains began to whip around him. Hundreds of thousands of metal links clacked together, the sound ringing out. Mounted along the numerous chains were dozens of large serrated blades.

Baring his teeth, Shuhei broke into a psychotic grin. Glaring out from his face, his eyes began to glow light blue.

"What the hell...?" Eric gasped, taking another step back.

Kicking off from the ground, concrete caved beneath Shuhei's foot as he rocketed towards the Sternritter. Jagged metal and chains trailed behind him and circled his body.

Hurriedly raising his scythe to defend himself, Eric slammed his weapon into one of the many chains that swathed his enemy's form.

In spite of the block, Eric found himself gouged across his torso. The sheer number of blades was so huge that it was impossible to defend against all of them at once. The serrated metal ripped through his white uniform and tore into his flesh.

Staring into the Quincy's eyes, Shuhei's grin widened.

Gagging on blood, Eric pushed back the Shinigami and began to retreat.

_What's going on?! _he thought, attempting to block the attacks that had started coming at him from all angles. _He shouldn't even be able to remember how to use his Zanpakuto, the amount of times I've cut him. So how... How is he pushing me back like this?!_

Lunging forwards again, Shuhei grasped two of the many chains and pulled on them. Feeling his legs lock, Eric glanced down to find his feet trapped within a complex array of steel.

Suddenly appearing in front of the Sternritter, Shuhei swung his arms upwards in a crossing motion, gashing him across the chest.

Blood still raining down on him, the Shinigami Lieutenant released the chains and thrust his hands out. Grabbing hold of Eric's white uniform, he arched his head forwards and slammed his forehead into the Quincy's nose.

Squinting through the blood, Eric reflexively removed his right hand from his scythe and punched Shuhei in the face. Ripping his feet from their snare, he continued on his retreat.

_No... The fact that he's pushing me back isn't the problem. It's his fighting style. He's completely different to how he was before. His personality has completely changed! And this Spiritual Pressure... It's so dark and sinister..._

"Why are you running away?" Shuhei laughed, giving chase in a whirlwind of steel. "Stay and fight me!"

Taunting as well... What the hell is this? He's like a completely different person!

No matter how far away Eric moved, Shuhei was always two steps behind him. The ring of metal on metal and the sounds of tearing flesh filled the air. Blood splashed onto the floor, staining it red, in the wake of the two men.

"What's with that expression?" Shuhei cackled, continuing to carve into the Sternritter. "It's pissing me off! If you keep that up, I'm going to peel off your face!"

This is not the same man...

"Who the hell are you?" Eric spat out as he attempted to dodg the numerous slashes.

"I'm surprised that it's taken you this long to notice!" Shuhei shouted, grabbing another of the chains and directing the jagged blades towards the Quincy. The psychotic grin plastered across his face grew wider, his eyes glowing brighter. Around him, the red and and black spiritual energy began to flicker. "My name is Kazeshini!"

As one of the blades sank into his arm, Eric winced in pain. "His Zanpakuto spirit?" he asked, in disbelief.

"You got it!" Kazeshini laughed, hacking at Eric with the bladed chains.

"That's... Not possible..."

"Ordinarily, no," the Zanpakuto spirit said, continuing his assault. "But that's the special ability of Shuhei here's Bankai. The ability to trade consciousness with me. And unfortunately for you..." He ran his tongue over his teeth, exposed by his smile. "I still have all of my memories."

_This is bad..._ Eric thought. Desperation gripped his features. _The sword being in control is not good for me. He's crazy. And his fighting style... He doesn't let up, even for an instant._

Turning sideways, Kazeshini leapt into the air and began to spin. As he did so, the black and red spiritual energy surrounding him whipped up into a raging tornado. Ripping through the air towards the Sternritter, the hundreds of bladed chains cleaved into the ground. Wreckage flew into the air in the wake of the attack.

Eric's eyes opened wide. Crossing his arms in front of him, he pushed so much reishi into his bloodstream that he felt like the vessels might burst.

Even in spite of his Blut Vene, the sheer number and force of the attacks were enough to break his skin and gouge through him.

Gritting his teeth, Eric felt blood slip out of his mouth. _He's... A monster._

* * *

Clarlonde Emcell (The Twilight) lifted her right hand to her face and began to gnaw on the base of her thumb.

Jumping from the roof of the building on which she stood, she landed in the middle of the street. Fluttering down around her, her white and black hair came to rest on her back.

Blood spread across the floor and lapped against the edges of her black combat boots.

Charlotte Chuhlhorne lay face down on the ground, in the centre of a growing pool of blood. His eyes were glazed and vacant, a clear sign that the feminine Arrancar was unconscious.

Standing over the downed Arrancar were six figures.

The figures were tall and gaunt, their heads lacking any semblance of faces. Entirely black, they resembled shadows more than they did people.

A bead of sweat formed on Clarlonde's temple and dripped down the side of her face. She stopped biting on her hand briefly to breathe heavily. While she was maintaining a calm appearance, she was pushing the far end of exhaustion.

Collapsing into the ground, the shadow puppets dispersed until no trace remained.

Pointing her finger down at Charlotte, the Sternritter began to charge her photon cannon.

_He was strong... _she thought. _Thank god he didn't get too close to me. Would have damn near ripped me in half if he had got his hands on me._

The beam of light flashed down from the tip of her finger and burned clean through the Arrancar's head. The smell of burnt hair filled the air, and a thin red cloud of evaporated blood rose up from his scalp.

Turning away from the body, she looked up at one of the walls that separated her from the other battlefields. In the distance, she could hear the roar of wind, and ahead of her the loud clanking of chains.

_This Reiatsu... It's so dark. I wonder who it belongs to..._

Closing her eyes, she attempted to tune in her senses to the fight occurring on the other side of the wall.

_Eric... So that means... This power is coming from the guy with the 69 on his face... This is strange. I didn't expect him to be this strong._

Opening her bright purple eyes again, she directed her attention to where the walls intersected. Stood atop the gigantic structure was Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C).

"Damn it..." Clarlonde muttered under her breath. "I don't want to use my Vollständig to fly out of here... Looks like I'm stuck in here till the control freak realises that I'm finished." She swallowed hard. _Though right now that doesn't seem like such a bad thing... I don't know how I'd handle fighting against someone with a Reiatsu like that..._

* * *

Kazeshini continued his unrelenting assault on Eric Koertig, all the while laughing hysterically.

Fighting through the onslaught of chains, Eric managed to move in close enough to take a slash at his enemy. The blade of the scythe sliced downwards, towards the Shinigami's face.

Leaning back, the Zanpakuto-possessed Lieutenant avoided the majority of the attack. He was, however, knicked across the chin.

_This isn't enough, _Eric thought. _I'm not landing enough hits on him. Not to mention, even if he were to forget anything important, he'd probably just carry on hacking at me without missing a beat. Tactics won't work here. If I want to survive, then I need to beat him into submission._

Weaving through the chains, he leapt out of the Shinigami's attack range and landed atop a nearby building. Hurriedly dispersing his scythe, he hooked his finger underneath a silver bracelet that adorned his wrist before snapping it off.

Light shot into the air and forked out into the shape of a five-pointed star.

"Samael; The Reaving Claw of God."

Kazeshini stopped his attacks to raise one eyebrow. Peering through glowing eyes at the light, he pulled a discerning expression.

Emerging from the light, Eric's body was swathed in skeletal bone-like armour, formed from ambient reishi. Over his head was a halo in the shape of a Quincy Zeichen, and pulled low over his face was a white hooded cloak. Beating from his back were a pair of large black feathered wings.

Thrusting his arms down six scythe-like blades sprang out of the armour mounted on his forearms; three on each arm.

His wings suddenly roared into motion, beating behind him and sending out a shockwave of air. Propelled forwards at high speed, Eric lifted his arms and began to strike aside the numerous chains and blades of the Bankai.

Kazeshini's eyes snapped open in shock as his defence was penetrated.

Rapidly grasping two of the chains, he pulled them towards him just in time to block a slash from Eric's arm-mounted blades.

Anticipating the block, however, Eric had already formed anothe blade on top of his right shin. Swinging his leg up in a kicking motion, the blade sank into the flesh of the Zanpakuto's side.

As blood slipped through his lips, Kazeshini broke into a wider smile. Continuing to pull on his chains, two more of the large serrated blades were dragged towards the back of the Sternritter.

Leaning to the side, Eric dodged and wrenched his leg blade from the side of his enemy's torso before taking to the air.

"Oh no you don't!" Kazeshini shouted, grinning. Swinging one arm upwards, he looped two of his chains over the Quincy. One over his head, and the other over one of his black feathered wings.

Instantly realising what was going to happen, Eric pulled his right arm up towards his face.

As Kazeshini tugged on the chains, the one looped over Eric's head shot back towards his neck. Luckily, it managed to wedge between the blades mounted on his arm before it reached his neck. His wing, however, was not as lucky.

Digging into the black reishi construct, the serrated blades adorning the chain cleaved through the structure, ripping it from Eric's back.

Pulled back towards his enemy by the sheer force exerted on the chains, Eric found himself flailing through the air. One arm pinned to his neck, and down one wing he could do little to recover and escape.

Slamming into a nearby building from above, the structure was reduced to rubble. A cloud of dust rose into the air as Eric vanished into the wreckage.

Jumping into the sky, Kazeshini grinned down towards the destroyed building and began another onslaught with the bladed chains. Blood flew out of the haze of dust and spattered against the floor.

Landing on the ground, Kazeshini began to advance on the wreckage.

"Ernten Klingen!"

Six scythe-like blades shot out of the rubble, screaming along the ground towards Kazeshini.

Dropping to one knee, Kazeshini felt one of the tendons in his left leg sever. He closed one eye as he grimaced in pain.

Leaping out towards Kazeshini, Eric lifted his arms and took another slash at his opponent. He found the blades mounted on his forearms, again, blocked by the links of the chains.

Twisting his hands and turning the chains, Kazeshini looped them around Eric's wrists and leapt back.

A sickening crunch echoed through the air.

By pulling on Eric's trapped arms as he retreated, Kazeshini had ripped them clean out of their sockets.

Screaming in pain, the Sternritter fell to his knees. In front of him, his arms hung limply, dangling and useless.

Stepping forwards, the Zanpakuto spirit began to chuckle. "You're down a wing and two arms. Not a good day for you."

Eric glared up at him, from underneath his hood, through glowing ice blue eyes.

"Nothing to say?" Kazeshini laughed, leaning down and placing his hands on his knees. When he got no response, he grabbed another blade attached to a chain and stabbed Eric above the collarbone. Tightening his grip on the blade, he twisted it before wrenching it out of the Quincy.

Crying out in pain, Eric fell backwards and landed on the street in a growing pool of blood.

Bursting back into ambient reishi, Eric's Vollständig faded. A bloody mist sprayed from his lips as he coughed, his numerous injuries finally catching up with him.

"C-can I ask you... something...?" Eric asked, grimacing as the pain pulsed through his body.

Kazeshini raised one eyebrow and pulled an amused expression.

"M... Make it quick..." he said, trembling. "K-kill me quick... Don't let... Don't let me suffer..."

The battle-crazed spirit began to laugh softly under his breath. Bending his body, he leant in close to the half-dead Sternritter. Around his body, the black and red spiritual energy began to flicker. "I don't think so."

"Wh... What?"

"My job is to take life," the spirit explained. "And all these years Shuhei has been too afraid to use me to do exactly that... So now I'm gonna start having some fun."

Eric laughed weakly. "I should have expected as much..."

"Not to mention..." Kazeshini ran his hand over the gash along his leg. "I need to pay you back for my leg..." His expression returned to the now familiar psychotic smirk. "So I think I'll start by hacking your legs off."

**_No!_**

Shuhei's body suddenly stopped dead, its limbs locking up.

Kazeshini bared his teeth. "Wh-what...?!"

**_Stop it!_** Shuhei's voice echoed through his head. **_I don't want this!_**

Dropping the blades and chains, Kazeshini reached up and grasped his head. An expression of pain and discomfort flashed across his face.

From his position, laying on the ground, Eric's face was gripped by confusion.

"You can't do this, Shuhei!"

**_Yes I can! I may not remember who I am, but I know that this isn't right! You're not going to kill him!_**

Kazeshini snatched up one of the blades of the Bankai. "Yes I am!"

**_No, you're not! _**The shared body's arm locked up once again. **_I don't care who you are, this is my body!_**

"No, wait! Don't-!"

Kazeshini's voice was cut off as Shuhei disengaged the Bankai. The hundreds of chains vanished, and the rippling spiritual energy that swathed his form faded away.

Shuhei's face lost the crazed smile, his eyes softening. He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak.

Suddenly, his eyes rolled back in his head. Blacking out from the strain his Bankai had placed on his body, Shuhei fell face first into the ground.

Eric was left dumbfounded, utterly stunned by what had just occurred.

Shifting his weight, the Sternritter tried to rise to his feet but found himself unable.

He had already lost far too much blood to survive. It was only a matter of time before he bled to death.

Closing his eyes, he felt his blood leaving his body. He began to shiver and everything slowly grew cold.

He felt a million miles away from the world. Weightless. As if he were floating in space. Pain wracked his body, gripping him like a vice and paralysing him.

"Eric!"

The voice brought him back to his senses.

Opening his bright blue eyes, he spotted a familiar face. A girl with bright red hair, flying through the air towards him, on white wings of reishi.

"Ni...na...?"

Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) landed on the ground in front of him and dispersed her Vollständig. Hurrying over to him, she crouched beside his bloody body and lifted him up, cradling his head in her arms.

"It's okay, breathe," she said, hurriedly. "Just breathe."

"C-came to see me..." he responded, smiling ever so slightly.

"Yeah, I did," she replied, returning the smile, warmly. "I shook on it, didn't I?"

"Bit... Too l...ate now." His voice was weak and his words interrupted by winces of pain. "K-kinda a bit dying..."

Nina half closed her deep brown eyes and glanced over at the unconscious body of Shuhei. "Was it... Was it him?"

"Y-yeah... Strong. D-damn strong." He laughed weakly. "Don't... Don't kill him... He n-never... Never wanted to kill me. L-least I can do for him is... Let him... Live..."

Tears started to form in the corners of Nina's eyes. "I can heal you... I can help."

"No..." he grunted, smiling slightly. "I... I know when I'm beaten. It's... It's my time to go... I've made... Peace with that."

"I understand," Nina smiled.

"C-can I be... A bit selfish...?" he asked, looking up at her and twisting his mouth, apologetically.

Nina swallowed hard and nodded.

"K-kill me..."

The red-haired girl froze. Her eyes opened wide in disbelief. A strange feeling churned up in her stomach and spread through her body at the speed of light, numbing her limbs.

"I... I know it's not fair..." Eric said, tears slipping from her corners of his eyes. "But... I... I don't want it to hurt... I w-want it to be quick... And if s-s-someone does it... I'd r-r...ather it be a friend..."

"Eric, I-"

"Nina, please..." he pleaded. "Y-you can do it so it won't hurt... You told me w-when you told m-m-me your... Schrift..."

Nina took a second to compose herself. Slowly moving one trembling hand up to her face, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Blood streaked across her cheek, following behind her fingers. Her breath emerged from her lips, ragged and laboured. "O... Okay..."

Eric broke into a smile and closed his eyes. "T-thank you..."

Slowly lowering his head onto the ground, Nina knelt next to him. Her white uniform was soaked in blood, staining it red to match her hair.

Biting down on her thumb, she drew blood and pressed the digit into one of Eric's open wounds.

The pain tearing through Eric's body stopped. He felt warm.

The last thing he felt was Nina's lips pressing against his forehead.


	41. Yuki Hime

**Chapter 41: [Yuki Hime] - The Snow Princess**

Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) glared down into the segregated battlefields that she had created.

Around her face, her red and purple hair caught the wind, flaring up and billowing. Her full red lips twisted and crinkled, revealing her pearly white teeth.

"Damn it..." she hissed under her breath. "First Dientelynne and now Eric... Useless."

Beginning to pace atop the gigantic wall, she placed her hands on her hips.

_As much as I dislike her, at least Clarlonde was able to kill that Arrancar... That's more than I can say for Snow. That bastard. Napping of all things... I swear to Yhwach I'm going to kill him._

The sound of footsteps filled the air.

Lenora turned around and found herself staring at Sternritter B, Nina Redwing. The glowing white wings of her Vollständig dispersed as she landed, the bright shards of reishi highlighting her bloodstained uniform. Her eyes were red and puffed up from crying. Cradled in her arms was the body of a young man.

"Better late than never," Lenora grinned, turning towards the red-haired girl. That was when she noticed what she was carrying. "What the hell is that?"

Stooping down, Nina placed Shuhei Hisagi's unconscious form on the ground. Staring into Lenora's eyes, she stood up straight without a word.

Lenora narrowed her eyes and took a step towards her subordinate. "I asked you a question, soldier." Her hand lowered, touching the hilt of the sword strapped to her hip.

Nina moved so fast that Lenora barely even registered the movement. In her hands she held a reishi bow, the loaded arrow aimed directly at Lenora's head.

"You dare-" Lenora began, however was soon cut off.

"Don't try to stop me," Nina interjected. "This doesn't concern you."

"Doesn't concern me?" Lenora scoffed. "Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what's going to happen to you, once Yhwach finds out about this?"

"This isn't anything to do with the war. Quincy, Shinigami; none of that has anything to do with this." She briefly glanced down at Shuhei's body. "This is about Eric."

Lenora pulled up her top lip in a brief flash of disgust. "What's Eric got to do with this?"

"He made me promise not to kill him," Nina explained. "This man beat him, so he deserves to live. It's fair."

"Fair?" Lenora laughed. Her expression grew more stern. "Fair does not enter into this. This is war, and you are under orders!"

"And you are not the one that gives me orders," Nina shot back. "The only orders I follow are Yhwach's."

The Soldat Grand Mistress began to turn away from the red-haired Sternritter. "Then what do you say we see what he has to say about this?"

An arrow wizzed through the air, missing Lenora's ear by a millimetre.

"Next time I won't miss," Nina said, rapidly loading another Heilig Pfeil.

Lenora bared her teeth. "You so much as think about firing another shot, and I will kill you myself for insubordination."

The air surrounding the two women suddenly grew inexplicably cold. Billowing from between their lips, their breath hung in the air as clouds of smoke.

While the Silbern was naturally cold, this was something different. The drop in temperature was so sudden and so large that the pair noticed it immediately.

Lenora turned her head towards the origin of the sudden drop in temperature. "What... The hell is that?"

* * *

**-Earlier-**

Rukia found herself severely outclassed when it came to speed. Her opponent was so fast, the Lieutenant could barely see her move.

Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) had spent the majority of the fight keeping her distance and bombarding the Shinigami with arrows.

Following her ill-advised dive towards Yachiru Kusajishi, she had been cut along the left shoulder by Rukia. After retreating back, Adelaid had cursed herself for being distracted by how cute the pink-haired Lieutenant was.

Launching another arrow, Adelaid moved further back.

Every so often, one of her arrows was frozen solid by the Shinigami Lieutenant. While she could not match the Sternritter's speed, Rukia had managed to defend herself to an extent.

Following the beginning of the battle, she had sent Yachiru off on her own to find a way out of the arena. If there was one thing the Lieutenant of Squad Eleven was good at, it was infiltration. The amount of times she had managed to sneak into the Kuchiki manor were evidence enough of that.

Rukia swung her blade up and froze another of the arrows.

_She's not controlling ice or snow... _Adelaid thought. _If she were, there would be manifestations around her... That and it wouldn't just be one or two arrows frozen, it would be all of them. Anything that sword touches is frozen solid. Her Zanpakuto must control temperature._

One of the Quincy's arrows connected with the wall of a building behind Rukia, exploding violently. Taken off of her feet, by the force, she fell face first into the floor.

As she began to launch swarms of arrows at the downed Soul Reaper, Adelaid continued to think. _Temperature control is very bad for my abilities, but I doubt I could kill her with Heilig Pfeil alone. If I'm to use my offensive Schrift ability, I need to get that sword away from her._

Clenching her fist, Adelaid narrowed her eyes. "Duft." Seeping from the pores of her exposed skin, a pale mist took to the air and began to disperse, soon vanishing.

Scrambling out of the way of the arrow swarm and subsequent explosions, Rukia began to run. Breathing heavily, she drew lungful after lungful of air into her body.

That was when she noticed the smell. Sickly sweet, it washed over her pleasantly.

All of a sudden, a feeling of nausea gripped her body. Her stomach began to churn and knot, and her head felt lighter than air. Rukia's legs gave way beneath her, causing her to drop to her knees.

"What on earth was-?"

Rukia's sentence was cut off as Adelaid activated Hirenkyaku and appeared several feet away, to her left. The subsequent arrow that the Sternritter fired slammed into the side of Sode no Shirayuki and ripped it from her hands. Flung through the air, the Zanpakuto span end over end, before the blade sank into the wall of a faraway building and lodged in place.

"Oh no..." Rukia gasped.

Dispersing her bow, Adelaid lifted her hands. The vapour exuding from her body began to converge before forming together into a colourless liquid, floating over her hands. "Giftig!"

Rukia instinctively dived to the side. Had she not done so, she would have almost certainly been killed.

The instant the liquid came in contact with the ground, it began to sizzle and burn. A deep trench was all that remained.

_Acid?! _Rukia thought, beginning to flee. _Is that her ability? But then what was that nausea earlier?_

"Shireen!" Adelaid cried out, giving chase. The liquid that have burned the ground evaporated into a thick smoke and began to chase after Rukia.

Enclosing around her, the thick haze invaded Rukia's eyes and mouth. Tears streamed down her face as her eyes and lungs began to burn.

_What is this?!_ Rukia thought, as she began to fight through the smoke.

Activating Shunpo, she blindly flung herself forwards and into the air, narrowly avoiding another splash of the mysterious liquid. Slamming into the side of one of the numerous white buildings, she crashed to the floor.

Slowly walking towards the Shinigami, Adelaid continued to emit the gas from the surface of her skin. The substance which she controlled began to swirl around her, spreading it's sweet scent through the air.

In front of the Sternritter, Rukia began to scramble blindly across the ground, in an attempt to escape. Her attempts to avoid Adelaid's attacks, however, were made even more difficult by the chemical's constant changes in state.

In the form of a gas, if inhaled, it was able to cause severe nausea and fatigue. As a vapour, it possessed qualitys similar to a tear gas, burning both the eyes and lungs of the intended target. The most dangerous form, however, was that of a liquid. When confronted by this state, it appeared that almost every solid object before it was melted and burnt.

Xylyl Bromide, after all, is an extremely versatile organic chemical.

Adelaid Gotshock (The Xylyl) persisted in her slow advance towards Rukia's hunched form.

Passing the mixture of gas and liquid through her fingers, in a figure of eight, the blue-haired young woman lowered her eyebrows and paused in hesitation.

_I'm sorry I have to do this,_ she thought. _As far as I know, you don't deserve to die any more than me. But this is war... And my orders are to kill you._

Slowly, the pale gas began to disperse and disappear.

_But I can still treat you with respect and mercy... I won't burn you with Xylyl Bromide's liquid form. I will use the explosive properties of the gas to blow you up from the inside... It will be too fast for you to even realise what has happened._

"Five-K... Utobroosch."

Rukia's body began to shake-

However, besides the tremor, nothing happened.

"What the-?" Adelaid gasped, stunned by the sudden occurrence. "What is this...?"

The air around the pair began to grow cold and icy. Smoke billowed from their lips, as their breath caught the chill. Under their feet, the ground started to shake.

Rising to her feet, Rukia began to rub her eyes. Flakes of clear ice fell from her face and shattered against the white ground.

"You're probably surprised..." Rukia said, looking into Adelaid's eyes. "About how I'm still alive. I guessed that you were using some kind of chemical... So I figured that it would have a freezing point. A temperature where it becomes inactive."

Adelaid stepped back. "How... How did you freeze it without your Zanpakuto?"

"The real power of Sode no Shirayuki is to lower the user's body temperature," Rukia explained. "The sword is just a catalyst to freeze the environment and extend my reach. Even without my blade, I can still freeze everything touching my body."

Adelaid summoned her bow into her hands and launched two arrows at Rukia.

Lifting her hands, the Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen grabbed hold of them and froze them solid.

"I was too afraid to use this power before," Rukia continued, beginning to walk forwards. Beneath her feet, ice spread across the street. "I thought it was too dangerous, but now... I know that if I don't use it, then I'll die." Her skin began to grow sickly pale, a faint blue sheen settling atop it. "This is the ability Nee-Sama helped me develop, in our training together."

Adelaid suddenly noticed a glare of light, running along the ground. A thin trail of ice had snaked its way from Rukia's foot and up the side of the building in which her Zanpakuto had been planted.

"Bankai. Hakka no Togame."

* * *

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) noticed the dramatic drop in temperature and opened one eye. A single neatly-shaped eyebrow arched atop his forehead as he peered towards the wall that separated him from the other battlefields.

"Now that is something..." he muttered under his breath. Turning onto his side, he propped his head up in the palm of his hand.

"What is something!?" Lilynette shouted, pointing towards the horizontal Sternritter.

"Shut up Lilynette," Coyote Starrk groaned, scratching the side of his head. "I'm trying to sleep over here..."

Gripping her arms and beginning to shiver, the young green-haired girl began to shiver. "Why is it so cold?"

"That's what I was talking about," Snow said, laying back on his back and clasping his hands behind his head. "I'm the only one in the Sternritter that can control ice, so it must be a Shinigami."

Starrk groaned to himself and began to sit up. Pushing his hair out of his face, he began to scratch at the stubble that lined his chin. "I'm sorry to say this, but we may have to start fighting again..."

"I think you're right," Snow replied, slowly standing up and removing his hooded Sternritter cloak, revealing his white uniform. A gust of wind blew past him, whipping his long ponytail around his attractive womanly features. Flexing his fingers, he broke into a soft smile as he readied himself to attack.

Now standing, the Primera Espada yawned ever so slightly before beckoning Lilynette to stand at his side.

"I know it's not my place to comment, but don't you think it's pretty low to have a little girl fight with you?" Snow said, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really," Starrk replied. "After all... She is my Zanpakuto."

Snow found himself shocked. Taking a step back, his mouth hung half-open. "What?"

"Kick about... Los Lobos."

* * *

White mist rose into the air, covering the entire of the battlefield Lenora had created for Rukia and Adelaid. Every inch of stone and concrete shimmered like white crystal, as it was instantly frozen to absolute zero.

Adelaid's body had turned almost entirely white. She had been frozen completely down to her core. Cracks began to form all over her body, and she soon began to crumble into shards of ice.

Rukia stood swathed in pure white robes. Loops of white ribbon circled her body and mounted on the side of her head was a decorative headpiece formed from crystal-like ice.

Like Adelaid, she was frozen solid.

However, unlike the Sternritter, she began to slowly thaw.

As she returned to normal, Rukia thought back to her brother's words, when she had first gained her Bankai.

_"It is a wonderful Bankai... But be wary with its use. Such a thing is as dangerous as it is beautiful. Thaw yourself slowly. Even the slightest mistake can be fatal."_

As Rukia allowed her body to slowly melt, her eyes began to close. Her mouth twisted ever so slightly into a smile.

"Thank you Nee-Sama..." she whispered to herself. "It was because of you that I could grow stronger..."

As she finally returned to normal, Rukia dropped to the floor and began to gasp for breath. Still, she smiled, even as tears dripped down her face. In spite of the strain her Bankai had put on her body, she had won.

"I've won, Nee-Sama..." Rukia said, softly. "I won..."

* * *

As Lenora was distracted by the sudden activation of Rukia Kuchiki's Bankai, Nina moved to leave the scene.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lenora shot at her, suddenly rounding back onto her comrade. "I am not letting you leave here."

The red-haired Sternritter eyed the Soldat Grand Mistress and once again lifted her bow and aimed it at her superior's head. "Just let me leave, Lenora," she ground out. "I don't want to have to hurt you."

Lenora scoffed. "You, hurt me?" She began to laugh, chuckling under her breath. Soon, she had devolved into a loud and half-crazed stream. "You must be joking. Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

Nina raised one eyebrow sarcastically. "Enlighten me."

"You bitch," Lenora spat back. "I am Yhwach's right hand."

"You're no more special than the rest of us," Nina retorted. "You're just given a podium to stand on."

Lenora took a step forwards. "You-!"

"And you know what the sad part is?" Nina interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "You know it. You know that you're no better than the rest of us, yet you still try to act like you're on a different level."

Lenora's face twitched. A prominent vein bulged on top of her temple. Her icy blue eyes glittered with rage and her white teeth bared through her deep red lips. Malice radiated from her body.

"I am Lenora Poultery," she hissed, seething rage gripping her voice. "The Soldat Grand Mistress and Sternritter C." Her hands balled into fists; her knuckles turning white. "And you dare insult me? I am The Conqueror! The Queen of the battlefield! I could end you with a twitch of my finger! This war, this battlefield. It's mine. It's all mine! This is my conquest!"

"Is that a fact?" chuckled a gruff voice, from behind her. "I do love a conquest!"

Lenora Poultery (The Conqueror) was hacked in half with a single swing of a rusted and chipped sword.

As the top half of her torso landed on the ground, her legs followed behind by several seconds. She had been ripped in half diagonally, from her left shoulder to her right hip. Blood spewed from her body and sloshed into the top of the enormous wall on which she had stood. Her organs began to slip out of her.

Still alive, her eyes were wide with confusion. Her mouth was even open; a thin trickle of blood dripping from the corner.

Even as she died, her blue orbs growing vacant, she still had no idea what had happened.

"Pfft... And I thought you were strong."

Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad Eleven, slung his sword up onto his shoulder.

"Fucking boring..."

* * *

**[A/N: Sorry for being so late with this one, I've had load of exams and deadlines for University so I had to put this on the back burner for a bit. But, now I'm free so this will definitely pick up the pace again!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Not a very long one, but one I had a lot of fun writing!]**


	42. Single Combat

**Chapter 42: Single Combat**

As Lenora Poultery (The Conqueror)'s bifurcated body crashed into the ground, Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) found herself frozen in fear. Pure, primal terror coursed through her veins.

Kenpachi Zaraki strood before her, his sword resting on his shoulder.

"Huh..." he grunted, pulling an expression of distaste. "I didn't expect to kill her with one attack, from behind. It's not like I was being sneaky. I even spoke up and everything. And it's not like I've ever tried to hide my Spiritual Pressure... From the way she was talking, I thought she would be at least perceptive enough to notice my first attack and block it... Though she may have been distracted..." He reached up and scratched the side of his head with his free hand. "Ah! All this thinking is a pain in my ass!" Pointing at Nina, he pulled a hopeful face. "You're strong, right? You'll at least be entertaining, right?"

Nina had been warned about Kenpachi Zaraki. Yhwach had informed them that only the seven most powerful Sternritter should confront him. With Kirmie dead, that number had been reduced to six.

As the Captain advanced on her, Nina knew one thing with absolute certainty.

She was going to die.

Lunging forwards, Kenpachi raised his sword and swung it downwards so fast that Nina lost sight of it completely.

There was a harsh locking sound as metal collided with metal.

Nina looked up and laid eyes on what had saved her. Blocking the slash of Kenpachi's chipped blade was a sleek, but large, broadsword. Light gleamed from its surface and danced through the air.

"Are you unharmed, miss?" arose a polite and pleasant voice from beside Nina.

Stood over the red-haired girl was the giant form of a man. Clad from head to toe in bright armour, he held an imposing presence, yet his voice was comforting. His face, obscured by the helmet that he wore, never once so much as twitched away from Kenpachi. The blue plume emerging from the top of his helmet began to billow in the wind.

"N... Knight..." Nina gasped.

Pushing back Kenpachi's blade, the armoured Sternritter stepped between the Captain and his comrade. "I saw you attempting to defend that boy," Knight said, addressing Nina. "That was very honourable of you." Wringing his hands around the hilt of his broadsword, he readied himself for combat. "Take him and run. I shall be the one to fight this man."

Without a second thought, Nina dashed to Shuhei's unconscious body and picked him up. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked Knight up and down before eventually fleeing. "Thank you."

"You're going to fight me?" Kenpachi chuckled. "You must think you're strong. That or you're stupid."

"I have no need for either strength or stupidity," Knight replied. "My valor is what shall guide me through this battle."

"Honourable one, ain't ya'?" the battle-crazed Captain said, maintaining his smirk.

"Honour is everything. It is all that matters in a fight."

Kenpachi began to laugh. It started off soft, however soon erupted into a hysteric fit. "All that matters in a fight?!" he parroted back. "Oh you couldn't be more wrong! I'll tell you what matters in a fight! What matters is slicing your enemy into little tiny pieces. What matters is the rush you get fighting for you life, toe to toe with an equal! The only thing that matters is the fight itself!"

"I see..." Knight replied, from inside his helmet. "Then would I be correct in assuming that you would accept a proposition of mine?"

"And what might that be?" Kenpachi replied, grinning.

"I challenge you to a duel," Knight said. "No interruptions, no aid from comrades. A one-on-one fight to the death. The battle is only over when one of us is dead."

Kenpachi's exposed eye began to glitter with excitement; his hands trembling in anticipation. "Now you're speaking my language."

"My parents never had the good courtesy to give me a name," Knight said, readying himself for combat. "However, for the purposes of honour, I shall give you my title, before you die. The Schrift his Majesty Yhwach blessed me with is the letter K. I am Sternritter K; The Knight."

"Nice to meet you!" Kenpachi laughed, lunging at him. "I'm Kenpachi Zaraki! The guy who's going to kill you!"

* * *

As Kenpachi and The Knight clashed, shock waves rippled through the entire of the Silbern. The monstrous power that each of the pair commanded was enough to cause even the most powerful of combatants to break into a cold sweat.

The only exception was Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O). That isn't to say that he didn't take note of the inhuman power. The fact was just that he was completely unfazed by it.

However, that was to be expected.

Possessing the largest Reiatsu in the entire of the Quincy army, Zeit was one of the seven soldiers permitted to engage Kenpachi Zaraki. Under different circumstances, it could as easily have been him battling the insane Captain.

Instead, he was locked in combat with a pair of Fullbring users.

As his blades flashed through the air, parrying and blocking the attacks of his enemies, he began to think of how best to dispatch them.

Would he do as his memories told him, or would he create another alternate future by deviating from the original path?

Pondering this matter, he jumped out of the fray in an attempt to gain higher ground.

The tall man with the scar would attack him from his left, which should result in Zeit defending with the blade in his right hand. Following that, the large man who used the same techniques as Ichigo Kurosaki would activate his Bankai.

At least that was how Zeit remembered it.

As Tsukishima jumped up at him, Zeit chose to defer from his memory and block the slash with his left hand.

The Book of the End grated along the reishi weapon, flinging sparks into the air. Several of them shot toward's Zeit's coal black eyes.

Reflexively, Zeit momentarily shut his eyes to prevent himself from being blinded.

Capitalising on this distraction, Tsukishima tilted his blade to the side, bypassing the Sternritter's own sword. Blood dripped down onto the pure white cloth of Zeit's military uniform as the flesh of his shoulder was punctured by the Fullbring.

Slashing back, with the blade in his right hand, Zeit gashed Tsukishima across the right side of his chest and along the top of his right arm.

Backing off, the lanky man pulled his blade from the Sternritter's flesh and grasped at his wound.

"Good job, Tsukishima!" Ginjo shouted at his comrade, as he began to engage the enemy. "You actually managed to hit him!"

The stubble lining Zeit's jaw suddenly darkened. His memory readjusted to accommodate his diversion in the path of time.

The large man wouldn't activate his Bankai. Instead, he would attack Zeit from the left, to take advantage of his weakened shoulder.

Lifting both of his blades, Zeit anticipated Ginjo's attack and turned to his left. The downward slash from the Substitute Shinigami was stopped; his oversized sword locked between the two reishi weapons.

Jerking the crossed swords to the side, Zeit pulled Ginjo's sword wide and out of his way. Following behind this movement, the white and black-haired Sternritter lifted his right leg and kicked the Fullbringer in the side, breaking several of his ribs with the sheer force.

Turning towards Tsukishima, the Quincy raised his weapons-

And stopped dead in his tracks.

"Why are you attacking me, Zeit?" Tsukishima asked, smiling. "I thought we were friends."

The man said nothing. He dispersed his blades and began to walk forwards, slowly.

During Zeit's previous memories, Tsukishima had not managed to cut him with the Book of the End, and thus he had no knowledge of the abilities. Only when his mind had adjusted and his memories changed, in accordance with his change in actions, did Zeit know exactly what Tsukishima could do.

And by then it was far too late.

The human soul had already inserted himself into the Quincy's past. Like a bookmark slipped between the pages of a novel.

"I was the one who saved you from them hollows when you were a boy," Tsukishima continued. "Back when you were alone and scared. So why were you pointing your blade at me?"

Zeit began to open his mouth, however soon stopped short of speaking. His attractive, stubble-lined face broke into a smirk.

The flame-like whisps of hair that adorned his head began to flutter, before receding into his scalp and shortening. His face began to grow more rounded, and his facial hair all but disappeared.

Tsukishima's eyes opened wide in shock.

Stood before him was a young boy.

Zeit vanished and reappeared in front of Tsukishima; stabbing the tall man in the stomach.

It was then that, for the first time since the war began, Zeit spoke. "You inserted yourself into my past."

His voice was strange. Overwhelmingly deep, and slightly haggard, it sounded like the voice a man of ninety would speak with.

Tsukishima staggered back as the Sternritter pulled the sword from him. Blood trailed in his wake.

"That was a mistake," Zeit continued, his strange voice emerging from his youthful face. "If you had used that on anyone else, you would have won." His manner of speech was disjointed and unnerving. He spoke in a whimsical manner, however when combined with his aged voice and threatening words, it felt out of place. The content didn't match the tone. "You picked the wrong opponent, when you decided to fight me."

Ginjo leapt up behind the small boy and raised his sword.

Leaning forwards, Zeit bent at the waist and allowed the oversized blade to pass over his head. Rearing back up, he held one of his swords in an inverted position. As he slammed his elbow into Ginjo's chest, the tip of the sword punctured his lung.

Collapsing to his knees, the large man struggled to breathe.

Reaching up, Zeit tapped the side of his head with one of his fingers. "I don't exist in the same way that you do."

Gritting his teeth, Tsukishima felt blood rush past his teeth. _What is he talking about?_

"In the flow of time, everything can only ever move forwards," Zeit said. "Everything except me. I can move any direction I wish, inside my own timeline."

Tsukishima's eyes opened wide in shock as Zeit explained.

"You inserted yourself into my past... So I just moved back to a point in my life, before I had met you."

It suddenly dawned on the pair of Fullbringers why Zeit had been growing progressively older, throughout their battle. He had been moving forward in time, so that he could remember their fight, and predict their next moves.

After Zeit had changed the outcome of an event, he would then age himself slightly to readjust his memories in keeping with the altered timeline.

"He's a monster..." Ginjo choked out.

"I'm Zeit Mehre; The Omni-Direction," Zeit said, vanishing again before reappearing behind Ginjo. Stomping down, he pressed down on Ginjo's neck with the sole of his boot.

A sound akin to the snapping of a dry twig filled the air as the large man's spine was crushed underfoot.

"Ginjo!" Tsukishima screamed, staggering weakly to his feet and running towards the Sternritter.

Dipping to the side, Zeit moved around the tall man and, in one fluid motion, leapt into the air and grasped him around the neck. As the joint of his elbow tightened around Tsukishima's throat, the Quincy placed his free hand on the top of his head.

"Don't worry," Zeit said, calmly. "I'll make it quick."

There was another harsh crack as Zeit broke Tsukishima's neck.

From her position, healing Captain Hirako, Nanao Ise noticed the duo's Reiatsu vanish. Her body locked in fear as she turned back towards the battlefield and saw the two men, dead.

"No way..." the Lieutenant of Squad 1 gasped, her eyes wide behind her glasses.

Zeit walked towards her slowly, his coal black eyes staring flatly from his face.

Completely paralysed by the Sternritter's crushing Spiritual Pressure, Nanao's mind turned to mush in her terror.

Placing his hand onto her shoulder, Zeit looked into her eyes. Tilting his head to the side, he broke into a brief smile before lifting his right fist.

He punched her in the face so hard that she felt her jaw dislocate and her eye socket crack. She was knocked out in a single hit.

Zeit had no interest in killing anyone below the level of a Captain. It was due to that very reason that he had left the group of Lieutenants and seated officers alive.

Looking down at the partially-healed Captain, he knit his brows together and summoned another sword, from ambient reishi.

He severed Shinji's jugular in one quick slash.

Turning away from the small army of Soul Reapers and Fullbringers that he had either knocked out or killed, Zeit eyed the massive arena on the far-reaches of the horizon.

He could still feel the clashes of monstrous power.

As his appearance started to slowly change into that of a teenager, he remembered making his way to the battlefield and joining the fights there.

* * *

As Kenpachi and The Knight clashed blades, another shock wave ripped through the air, brought on by the sheer force carried behind the swords. The strikes echoed with the sounds of thunder, cracking across the landscape.

Beneath their feet, the concrete caved and broke, giving way from the sheer shock and force of the clashes.

"You're pretty good!" Kenpachi laughed, peering through a blazing flurry of sword strikes. "I've never had someone match me so equally before!" His visible eye twinkled with sadistic excitement. "Stronger, yes. Weaker, ohoho definitely! But this... Fighting an equal... This is so much fun!"

"Likewise is true for me," The Knight replied. "I have never before encountered an opponent who could match me."

Kenpachi gleefully continued to lock blades with the Sternritter.

However, he suddenly noticed something curious.

The strikes of the Quincy were beginning to grow progressively stronger. That, however, was not what Kenpachi had caught note of. The Knight was growing stronger, but the effort that he was putting behind his swings was the same. He was getting faster, too.

"To praise one's enemy is a form of respect," The Knight said, continuing his quick and powerful motions with his broadsword. "And respect is the duty of a knight."

As the vicious melee continued, Kenpachi's mind began to wander. He thought about his opponent's words.

_What does he mean by this 'duty of a knight' crap? Is it something to do with why he's getting stronger and faster? Damn it, this is a pain in my ass. I'm no good at working out all this complicated stuff. I just want to carve some meat!_

Kenpachi tightened his grip on his Zanpakuto and struck out as hard as he could. In doing so, he managed to knock aside The Knight's broadsword. Reversing his swing, he attempted to cut the Sternritter across the chest.

Sparks flew into the air as the chipped blade grated along The Knight's armour.

_Shit, I forgot about the armour..._

The Knight took another wide swing at the Captain, as he was distracted by the ineffectiveness of his slash. Kenpachi was cut across the chest by the tapered tip of the sword.

_But... _he thought, as he returned the attack in kind, finally managing to cut through The Knight's breastplate, and draw blood._ This is really fun! I didn't think I'd find someone I could cut loose against, so soon after joining the battle!_

Over and over the blades came together. Still more shock waves ripped through the air and thundered across the Silbern.

The Knight brought his blade down on Kenpachi from above.

Reaching up and blocking the downward slash, the blow rippled down his arms and through his body. Beneath his feet, the enormous wall caved.

Enormous chunks of rubble began to plummet through the air. Slabs of concrete and rock, fell through the sky in the mids of a huge cloud of dust.

Even as they fell, Kenpachi and The Knight continued to battle. Using the falling rock as leverage for their feet, their fight continued to rage as they fell to earth.

In their descent, neither let up, even for an instant. Not even when they neared their inevitable contact with the ground.

Colliding with the ground, an explosion ripped outwards and crashed into nearby buildings, tearing them apart.

Leaping forwards, The Knight again raised his sword and slashed out at Kenpachi.

Even in spite of the blow being blocked, the result was devestating. Lifted clean off of his feet by the force, Kenpachi was flung through the air like a rag doll and slammed into the side of another section of the massive wall. Much like the surface that they had began their fight on, the wall was annihilated; crashing down upon the Captain in an avalanche of stone.

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) watched the devastating battle, from a distance. Even from over ten miles away, he could still clearly see the destruction being wrought upon the arena that Lenora had constructed.

His shirtless form began to tremble as he observed.

Instinctual fear filled his body.

"Damn monsters..." he whispered under his breath.

"I know..." Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) said, walking up behind her comrade. She was gripped in a chilling sweat. "It's terrifying... Isn't it? How strong they are."

"I didn't think anyone would ever be able to match Knight in a one on one fight," Sylvanus said, his grey eyes narrowing. "He's the strongest physically, out of all of us... And his strength is potentially unlimited. Yet... Kenpachi Zaraki is fighting him equally."

"Call me crazy, but... I almost want to move closer."

Sylvanus turned towards the pink-haired girl and scratched the black stubble that gripped the back and sides of his head. "I'd like to say you would be on your own... But, truth told, I know I would go with you. I couldn't bring myself to let you wander into that alone."

Jamina looked up at him, through deep red eyes, and paused for several moments. "I think we need more people like you on our side..." She looked back at the destruction in front of them. "Look at what the rest of them have caused."

"Violent and vicious individuals always breed destruction and chaos," Sylvanus replied. "We knew that from the beginning."

The muscular man gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. Again, Jamina glanced over at him.

Sylvanus took a deep breath. "And this... This is what comes from using people like them in war."


	43. Interruption

**Chapter 43: Interruption**

Two members of the Vandenreich's Soldat were stood in one of the numerous streets that wound their way through the white expanse of the Silbern. Their bodies were slumped as they lounged against the wall of a squad house; their faces a mixture of concern and apathy.

"I can't believe The Mistress is dead..." one of them muttered, not once taking his eyes off of the arena that dwarfed the horizon. As far away as they were, they could still see the desruction being wrought by the battle between The Knight and the Captain of Squad Eleven.

"Tell me about it..." the other replied, removing his cap and pushing his hand back through his limp brown hair. "It almost makes me want to stop fighting."

"What are you talking about?" the first scoffed in response. "Need I remind you we haven't actually done any fighting? Our job was to gather information for Miss Poultery." He lazily pointed his chin in the direction of the inhuman Reiatsu being produced by The Knight and Kenpachi. "And even if we were expected to fight, do you really want to tangle with something like that?"

"I guess not."

"You guess not? Sometimes I seriously worry about you, Matt..."

Matt flattened his hair down and replaced his white military hat. "Let's not talk about death and fighting..." he said, awkwardly trying to change the subject to something more lighthearted. "Let's talk about something fun."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, Hugo... Like... " Matt flustered in an attempt to find a suitable topic. "Hottest Sternritter."

"You know if any of them heard this, we'd be so dead that it wouldn't even be funny?" Hugo shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on, it's not like any of them are around."

Hugo paused for several seconds, seemingly in thought. In the background, shock waves and rumbling sounds of destruction cracked in the distance. "Fine. Ground rules... Do they have to still be alive?"

"Never took you for a necrophiliac," Matt replied, deadpan.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"Yeah, yeah," the brown-haired Soldat grunted. "Any of the women in the original Twenty Six."

"Okay..." Hugo's attention began to drift as he thought. One hand lifted beside his head to twist one of his blonde curls. "Miss Emcell is nice."

"Eh, too plain," Matt said. "I mean, sure she's pretty but there's definitely better...And nice isn't the same as hot."

"What about Dientelynne?"

"Nah, not my type."

"What do you mean not your type?" Hugo said, pushing the issue. "Why don't you rate her?"

"Because fuck U, that's why," Matt replied, still staring off into the distance at the arena.

"How long'd it take you to come up with that one?"

"About three hours..."

"Yeah, that sounds about right for you..." Hugo grunted, leaning back and staring up at the sky.

"Miss Jazdera is pretty hot," Matt said. "In a cute, quirky kind of way. And Miss Herz."

"Dude!"

"What?" Turning to face Hugo, Matt lifted one eyebrow.

"She's like fifteen," the blonde man said, in disbelief.

"No way Aya is fifteen. Don't bullshit me, man."

"I shit you not," Hugo insisted.

Matt again paused. "I honestly don't know how to feel about that..." As his shock began to peter out, he began to chuckle under his breath. "Did not see that coming."

"Strike it from the record," Hugo laughed. "Never to be spoken of again."

"You know we're missing someone obvious, right?" Matt said, leaning towards his comrade slightly, as he spoke.

"Don't you say who I think you're going to say-"

"Gabriele."

"You totally said it..." The blonde-haired Soldat shook his head in dismay.

"What's wrong with that?" Matt said, half smirking as he began to laugh. "She's so good looking it's almost unreal."

"She's also freaking crazy," replied Hugo. "Seriously, count me out of that one. She would rip me to shreds; and not even in a good way. Didn't you ever hear? The best looking ones are always insane."

"Aw, well that's not very nice, is it?" suddenly arose a playful, pouty voice, from around a nearby corner.

Hugo and Matt both felt their bodies lock up in fear.

"What's that old saying?" the woman mused, stepping out and walking towards the two men. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear?"

The woman was of average height, with a shapely figure. Her waist pinched in, accentuating the swell of her bust and the width of her hips. Tumbling around her shoulders were thick black locks, flecked with streaks of crimson red.

Poking out from between her full lips, the woman's pink tongue flicked out and briefly tasted the air. The thick lashes that framed her deep red eyes fluttered.

Gabriele Geschlechtliche (Sternritter V) began to laugh under her breath.

Hugo and Matt broke into a cold sweat as the woman slipped between them and leant back against the wall.

"Oh don't be so serious," she said, flitting her eyes between the two Soldat. Pulling out a small silver tube, she began to apply a coat of black gloss to her lips. "I'm not going to kill you. You said I was pretty; everything else doesn't really matter."

Neither man dared to even make a sound. The tension in the air was so think that it felt as if they were submerged in gelatin.

"So what's the word on what's been going on?" Gabriele said, turning towards Matt and breaking into a sweet smile. "I heard you boys have been the ones gathering the Daten."

"We can't discuss that with you," Hugo blurted out, from behind the woman.

Glancing over her shoulder, Gabriele raised her brow and broke into a mocking attempt at a sad expression. "Aw, why not?"

"We're only s-supposed t-to discuss information with M-MMMadam Poultery," Hugo stammered.

"But she's dead now," Gabriele said, moving her face towards the blonde young man and stroking her black manicured nails across his cheek.

"Then we report only to His Majesty," Matt interjected.

"That's no fun," she pouted, in response. "Come on, you can tell me. We're all on the same side, here."

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Geschlechtliche," Matt said, in an attempt to look more courageous than he actually was. "But orders are orders."

The black and red haired woman began to laugh. "Well aren't you a brave one." She leant in closer to Hugo, her black lips almost brushing against his ear. "Don't you think he's brave?" she teased.

"Y-yes, Miss..." Hugo said, swallowing hard.

"You know..." Gabriele cooed, her lips twisting into a smile. "Sooner or later I'm going to find out what's in your head." Her voice was like treacle, dripping from her mouth. She moved down slowly, until she was breathing against the man's neck. "Because you're going to tell me everything I want to know..."

Her eyes began to glow eerily.

The teeth, visible through her lips, suddenly grew sharp.

"Well..." She giggled. "Your blood will."

Chilling screams echoed across the Silbern.

* * *

Kenpachi Zaraki emerged from a large pile of rubble.

Blood covered his body, soaking his torn and ragged Shihakusho. Shallow cuts covered his body, decorating it like the armour that his opponent wore. Plastered across his face was a satisfied smile.

Striking out with his Zanpakuto, the chipped metal slammed into The Knight's own broadsword.

The Knight's armour was dented, scratched and gouged. It bore as many cuts on its metal surface as we're on Kenpachi's body. Few of the cuts, however, had managed to reach his flesh underneath. Blood slipped from the joints in the metal plates and glittered off of the steel.

"Most impressive, Kenpachi Zaraki!" The Knight said, his voice ringing from his dented helmet. "You fight with the strength of many men!"

"You're not too bad yourself!" Kenpachi laughed.

The Captain's arm suddenly buckled beneath the force of The Knight's sword. The back of his Zanpakuto came back to meet his face full force, slamming into his nose and crushing the cartilage.

The Knight's strength had suddenly leapt again.

Kenpachi's feet crushed into the ground, shattering the concrete. As he was pushed back, his feet gouged trenches into the street.

Squinting his eyes, the Captain peered through the blood and past the crooked feature.

Before he could retaliate with another attack, the Knight stopped and raised one hand. "A moment."

Coming to a hault, Kenpachi pulled a perplexed expression.

"Compose yourself," The Knight said. "It would be a shame if you were to lose this fight, having not been able to see past your broken nose."

Hesitantly lifting his left hand, the Captain gripped the bridge of his nose before forcing it back into place. His visible left eye narrowed as he watched the Sternritter. He half expected his enemy to launch an attack on him.

When no such attack came, he raised an eyebrow. "You're very courteous."

"I enjoy fair fights," The Knight explained. "And I cannot remember the last time I took pleasure in a fight as much as I am now. It is an honour to face an opponent such as you."

Breaking into a wide grin, Kenpachi's eye twinkled. "I don't care about that whole honour crap... But you're right. This is fun. I didn't think I'd ever be able to enjoy a fight this much, since I fought her." Moving his hand from his realigned nose to his eyepatch, he gripped the accessory. "Against you... I'll be able to fight, without holding myself back!"

* * *

Privaron Espada #103, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, was still ploughing through his own section of the arena. Since Lenora's demise, the area had stopped rearranging itself, which was so far working to his advantage.

His opponent was now limited in the number of hiding places he could choose from; almost the entire surrounding consisting of rubble.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called into the wreckage. The numerous mask-tipped tornados, spewing from the vents on his legs, blitzed through the landscape. "Soon, I shall find you; Jovenzuelo!"

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) maintained his two-dimensional form, lurking within the shadow thrown by a portion of wall that still stood; behind Dordoni.

He was waiting for an opening, biding his time.

His techniques were almost entirely defensive; ill suited for direct combat. The only aspect of his Schrift that could be used to harm someone required far too much time to activate for him to simply leap into the fray and use it. He would need a suitable distraction.

The Arrancar's abilities were so destructive that Basilisk had chosen to spend almost all of the battle in his two-dimensional form. All it would take was one attack from the Arrancar, and he would be afflicted with hollow poisoning.

It was also increasingly likely that the Captain of Squad 12 had modified the bodies of the Arrancar to contain a cocktail of drugs that would be detrimental to the Quincy.

Basilisk had read the Daten issued by His Majesty almost religiously, since before the war had began. He knew exactly the kind of tricks that Mayuri would use.

The calm, almost expressionless, face of the Sternritter creased slightly as he narrowed his eyes. The bright blue orbs flitted discerningly over Dordoni's form. Basilisk had been observing his movements for some time and was waiting for the opening that he needed. Until then, he was more than happy to bide his time and wait.

"I am growing tired of this!" Dordoni shouted, hovering midair amidst a swarm of cyclones. "You are no man!" He bent his body forward and pouted his lips comically, as he began to taunt. "You are a little sissy girl! The mighty Quincy soldier, running from me! You must be so scared!"

The Privaron Espada held his mocking pose for several seconds, and waited in silence. After several moments with no response, on the part of the Quincy, a large vein began to bulge on his forehead and he started to rage; once again continuing on his rampage.

_He's clearly not very smart, _Basilisk thought as he watched the Arrancar's tantrum. _All I have to do is bide my time and wait for the right opportunity. Someone like him is bound to slip up eventually..._

The enormous wall dividing their battlefield from the neighbouring ones suddenly collapsed. Erupting into an avalanche of debris and dust, the structure came down practically on top of the Arrancar.

Seizing his opportunity, as Dordoni was distracted, Basilisk lifted three fingers. "San." Leaping into the air, at his enemy, he began to speak under his breath. "One hundred and sixty six miles north west; one hundred and sixty six degrees counter clockwise from the rising sun; one hundred and sixty six metres above sea level."

White wings flickered from his back, keeping him airborne as he advanced.

Dordoni didn't even notice the Quincy charging him; too distracted by the rubble as it descended upon him. In his peripheral vision, he saw a metallic flash as The Knight was flung from the falling wreckage and skimmed across several buildings, like a stone over still water.

Too late did he realise Basilisk approaching.

Grasping the Privaron Espada around the back of his neck, the Sternritter lifted a single finger.

"Ichi."

Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio vanished almost instantly.

_The First Dimension is a fixed point in space... _Basilisk thought, pulling off the hood that covered his head, and staring through the haze of dust, vacantly. _He shouldn't be coming back anytime soon; especially considering how far away I sent him... Though, if he moved as I teleported him, he would have been ripped apart. That would be the best case scenario. Either way, I doubt I'll be seeing him again._

Pulling down the fabric mask that covered the bottom half of his face, he took a deep breath. Finally entirely visible, his face was rather attractive, bearing a strong jawline. Tattooed onto his left cheek was the number "3".

His bright blue eyes flitted in the direction the form of The Knight had been flung. Already too far away to see, and shrouded in dust, Basilisk failed to place him.

Leaping through the enormous hole in the wall, Kenpachi Zaraki blitzed through Basilisk's battlefield. So focused was he in his pursuit of his opponent, he all but ignored the Sternritter watching him.

Kenpachi Zaraki... he mused. _To think that it was him who aided me in victory..._

Basilisk followed the battle-crazed Captain with his eyes.

_As a thank you, I won't interfere... For now. But should Knight fail to kill you, you best watch yourself._

* * *

"Splendid, Kenpachi Zaraki!" The Knight cried out, lifting himself to his feet. The visor of his helmet cracked, revealing a portion of his face. "Well met, sir!"

Kenpachi took a wide swing at the Sternritter's head. The Knight ducked under the blade and slashed the Captain upwards, across the body.

Bringing his sword down, as the Knight lifted his own to block, the two weapons collided in another massive shock wave and a blaze of white hot sparks. The ground beneath The Knight's feet caved from the force of the strike, creating a humongous crater.

_What is this? _Kenpachi thought, as they fought. _His strength just keeps going up. It's got to be some kind of trick. Even after I took my eyepatch off, he's still fighting me equally. No. He might even be stronger than I am._

Forcing his arms up, from his kneeling position, the Sternritter flung Kenpachi's sword arm wide. Pulling his broadsword back to beside his head, he thrust out in a piercing motion.

Acting on impulse, Kenpachi lifted his left arm and grasped the blade tightly. Despite not being strong enough to prevent the attack, he was able to make it so that the thrust did not completely run him through.

Pulling back, the armoured Quincy retreated several paces and locked himself into a tight combat stance.

Kenpachi lunged forwards, his chipped Zanpakuto ripping down through the air, in an attempt to hack off The Knight's arm.

The broadsword of The Knight shot up and deflected the Captain's strike, forcing the attack off course and resulting in the blade edge slamming down into the ground. Dust flew up into the air in a thick cloud.

Stepping in, the Quincy soldier reversed his swing and gouged his opponent horizontally across the chest.

The clanking sound of metal on metal rang through the air as the Sternritter again retreated.

Giving chase, Kenpachi lifted his blade and began to swing wildly at the Quincy. Each and every one of his slashes was either blocked or parried by The Knight. The thunderous blows roared across the battlefield.

The tip of the Quincy's broadsword flashed up towards Kenpachi's face. Instinctually leaning back, the metal point passed over his eyes by a hair's breadth.

After avoiding the slash, Kenpachi arched his neck forwards and slammed his forehead into The Knight's helmet.

Reeling backwards from the force, the Sternritting shot back with a swing of his sword, gashing the Captain across the top of his left arm and severing the tendon.

_It's almost a shame.._. Kenpachi thought. _Win or lose, I won't be able to fight this guy again. If I win, he dies, and if he wins, then I die._

**_Then why not finish this, with no regrets?_** a voice said, rumbling through his mind.

Kenpachi's smile widened. Insanity twinkled behind his eyes. _You know... That might not be such a bad idea!_

"Is something the matter, Kenpachi Zaraki?" The Knight asked, from inside his helm, as they continued to exchange blows. "You appear distracted."

"I was just thinking about making this a real fight," Kenpachi grinned.

"And how would you propose to do that?"

Their conversation paused momentarily as another thundering shockwave burst from their blades.

"By giving you everything I have," Kenpachi laughed.

Visible through the crack in his visor, The Knight's mouth plucked into a vague visage of a smile. "Then by all means, Captain Zaraki, show me. It would be a great honour to fight you at your best."

Breaking away from their exchange, the Quincy warrior lifted his sword and pointed the tip of it at the Captain.

"I shall give you this chance to prepare yourself," the armoured man said. "Use it wisely."

Kenpachi began to laugh under his breath. "Oh I will..."

The battle-crazed Captain's eyes began to glow ever so slightly. Lifting his rusted blade, golden spirit energy began to pour from the metal and disperse into the air.

"Swallow... Nozarashi."


	44. I Am The Edge

**Chapter 44: I Am The Edge**

Footsteps.

Faceless forms swarmed past; blurring and melting into one as he walked among them. Few took notice of him, and the ones that did looked upon him with flashes of disgust.

He felt hollow and empty.

"Hello, boy..."

The child turned. His eyes fell upon the form of a large man. His hair was long and his moustache wild and unruly. Red eyes glowed from his face.

"What's your name?"

Silence.

"You haven't one?"

The young boy shook his head, slowly.

"And your parents?"

Again, the child said nothing. His face remained flat, almost devoid of emotions. He cast his eyes to the floor.

"I see." Yhwach held out his hand. "You can come with me if you like?"

The boy hesitated, his eyes lingering on the Quincy King. Reaching up, he grasped hold of Yhwach's fingers.

"Will you give me a name?" the boy whispered, looking up at Yhwach.

"No," the Kaiser of the Quincy replied. "That I will not do. But I will give you a purpose. You shall be my sword. My Knight."

* * *

Yachiru Kusajishi stood atop a building, watching the golden tower of spiritual energy rocket into the sky.

Around her face, her bright pink hair caught the wind and whippe around.

As the feeling of Kenpachi's power washed over her, she thought back to when she had first met him; when he had given her her name.

She remembered the bodies, swamping the floor. She remembered the deep red blood that clung to his sword.

Most of all, she remembered his face as he looked down on her. She remembered how safe she felt, under his watch.

"Kenny..." she whispered under her breath, breaking into a soft smile. "Welcome back..."

* * *

Kenpachi stood, with his Zanpakuto slung over one shoulder.

The weapon was so monstrously huge that it almost defied reason.

Easily longer than Kenpachi was tall, Nozarashi took the form of a gigantic ax; the blade of which constituting over two thirds of its size.

The spiritual pressure that it release was equally as ridiculous. So large that logic was almost lost when addressing it, the Reiatsu spread across the area, drowning everything beneath it.

The Knight broke into a wide smile, visible through the cracked portion of his helmet. "Excellent..." he said softly. "Excellent! To think you were capable of this. I am impressed, Kenpachi Zaraki!"

Again, The Knight's Reiatsu leapt astoundingly.

"I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say you just got stronger?" Kenpachi grinned, tightening his grip on the handle of his humongous ax. "I think I've just figured out your power."

The Knight said nothing. Instead, he bore an amused expression, visible through the missing portion of his helmet.

"Every time you do something 'honourable' you get stronger," the Captain said. "Am I right?"

"That is correct," The Knight replied.

"And how much stronger can you get?" Kenpachi asked, his eyes glowing gold.

"In the interests of sportsmanship, I will hold no secrets from you," The Knight said, loosening his stance. "My strength will increase infinitely. The longer this duel continues, I shall grow more powerful. And my power is bolstered by each successive instance of Knightly conduct that I display."

"I see," Kenpachi grinned. "So it just remains to be seen... Are you stronger than Nozarashi here?"

"It does indeed," the Sternritter replied, shifting his weight onto his foremost leg. "So... Shall we end this, Kenpachi Zaraki?"

"If you're as ready as I am," the Captain laughed.

"Then it shall be done," The Knight said, smiling. "Have at you, Sir!"

The two combatants suddenly charged one-another. Concrete crushed underfoot, leaving small craters in their wake.

Nozarashi and The Knight's broadsword collided with so much force that the two men were taken clean off of their feet and catapulted through the air.

Toppling buildings in droves, the pair of men rose to their feet and again flung themselves at one-another.

_When was the last time I felt such joy?_ The Knight thought to himself as he crossed swords with the Captain. _It must have been when His Majesty first found me... Not since then have I found such happiness._

He felt a bone in his wrist crack as he met Kenpachi in another clash. Even with his strength increasing as it was, the sheer power of the Captain's Shikai was overwhelming.

_I never thought that I could enjoy fighting this much. I never imagined that I could enjoy anything this much. Putting my life on the line and fighting someone strong... Not just for His Majesty. But for me as well._

The weight of the Zanpakuto came down on him from above, and in spite of blocking, the Sternritter was driven down into the ground.

Turning sideways, he dipped around the huge ax and moved towards the Captain.

Flashing out with his sword, he again cut Kenpachi across the top left corner of his chest.

The Zanpakuto was swung at the Quincy sideways, in retaliation to the attack. Half turning, The Knight swung his arms over his head and pointed his blade down, across his left side, to defend against the slash.

Swept off his feet by the force of the strike, The Knight was launched across the battlefield and crashed through the outside wall of the arena. This did little to stifle his movement, however, as he continued to plough through buildings until he was at least two miles away.

Emerging from a pile of rubble, The Knight felt his left arm slowly going numb. The armour that covered his right arm had been ripped from his body, revealing the thin chain mail that clung to his skin.

_Even though I cut the tendons in his left arm, he's still this strong. It's insane. To think that he can still match me, when I've increased my power by this much. Ever since I took on the moniker of The Knight, I have been steadily building my strength... And yet he is more than my equal. Kenpachi Zaraki, you are a true warrior. It is an honour to fight a man such as you._

Kenpachi appeared in front of him, brandishing Nozarashi. Before the Captain could take a swing, The Knight leapt forwards and sliced downwards, cutting his opponent across the right shoulder.

_I now think I realise what it is I was meant to do._

The Captain again swung at him with his oversized Zanpakuto. Ducking down, the attack passed over the Sternritter's head before he leapt to the side, to gain some distance.

_From the moment I was born, I was resigned to the fact that I would go through this life without any true purpose. A nameless man, overlooked; painted into the background in the portrait of this world._

The duelling pair locked weapons in another vicious clash.

_But now I can see it... I may not have been named, I may be nothing more than a nameless knight... But that does not have to be where it ends. This man before me, he was just like me. And now, here he stands, knowing exactly who and what he is._

The Knight finally reached a level of strength where he was able to withstand the blows dealt out by Kenpachi. Holding fast, his grip on the hilt of his broadsword tightened.

_His Majesty saw something in me, when he took me in. Now I understand what it was..._

Engaging in a furious round of slashes, the two men clashed steel again and again.

_I am a warrior. I was born to do this; to fight._

Locking blades, the Sternritter and the Captain looked into each other's eyes and broke into similarly satisfied smiles.

Continuing to slash at each other, sparks flickered though the air and shock waves ripped across the landscape. The Knight could practically feel the blade of his broadsword cracking.

Suddenly dipping to the side, Kenpachi began to swing the enormous blade of Nozarashi up at The Knight. Leaning back, the Quincy narrowly avoided the strike.

That was when The Knight saw it. A flash of white, leaping into the air, behind his opponent. Eyes opening wide in fear, he stepped to the side and moved to dash towards the figure. "No, wait! Don't!"

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction) ignored his comrade and launched a blazing white arrow towards Kenpachi's back.

As the projectile collided with the Captain, an enormous explosion rocked the area. White spirit energy shot into the air, eclipsing all of the surrounding buildings in light.

However, the source of the explosion was not the arrow...

...but The Knight.

A distorted, almost metallic scream tore through the air, creating a truly enormous shockwave. Kenpachi was suddenly launched through the air and catapulted a considerable distance away.

Emerging from the haze of smoke, The Knight's armour had been charred black. Red light spewed from the visor of his helmet. Black, grain-like spirit energy rippled off of his body.

His head shot up, throwing his gaze upon Zeit.

Without a second's hesitation, he threw himself through the sky and slashed the boy downwards, across the chest.

Coal black eyes opened wide in shock as blood sprayed from Zeit's body. "Wh-what...?"

* * *

Aya Herz (Sternritter S) felt a shiver shoot down her spine.

Whirling around, her glossy black hair whipped around her face. Deep purple eyes pinpointed the shot of light lancing up from the horizon.

"Knight..." Her breath caught in her throat as she stifled a gasp. Worry clasped her face and held it like a vice.

_Someone interrupted a duel..._ she thought, starting to run as fast as she could, towards the battlefield. Panic flooded her body; her heart beating so fast that it almost burst out of her chest. _No. Not like this... Please don't let it end like this. Please don't kill any of our friends!_

* * *

Falling back down to earth, blood trailing behind his plummeting body, Zeit hurriedly threw himself forwards in time.

His body structure shifted, rapidly growing older. He morphed from a boy of twelve into a man in his early twenties. The deep gash that stretched across his torso quickly closed, until only a scar remained.

Zeit's cold dark eyes narrowed discerningly.

_Damn it..._ he thought. _I should have just let the Captain kill him._

The Knight fell upon him, black armour roaring around his body as the metal scraped together. The ash-like spirit energy spewing from his body churned as he swung his broadsword down at Zeit.

Summoning two reishi blades into his hands, Zeit crossed them over his head to defend himself. Beneath the sheer force of The Knight's strength, the weapons shattered. The white and black-haired young man was cut vertically down the length of his torso.

Gagging on blood, Zeit leapt back and again accellerated his flow of time, until his wound had closed.

_I had no idea that this would happen_. He gritted his teeth tightly as he remembered what Aya had told him, after she had arrived at the battlefield. _How was I supposed to know that he would go berserk if I interrupted one of his duels? Damn all of them... This should have been a priority in the Daten._

The Knight lurched forwards, red light glaring from the cracks and visor of his helmet. His broadsword flashed out, narrowly missing Zeit's face.

_Not to mention... He's even stronger than he was when he was fighting Zaraki. Freaking monster._

Reconstituting his dual swords, Zeit struck back at his comrade. The metal grated across The Knight's armour in a blaze of sparks.

"Tch..." he tutted. _Too shallow. What the hell is that stuff made of? How on earth was Zaraki able to cut through it?_

"You thought you could get rid of me that easily?!" suddenly roared an ecstatic voice.

Kenpachi Zaraki dropped out of the sky, brandishing Nozarashi over his head.

Diving to the side, Zeit dodged the attack. The oversized ax slammed into the ground, whipping up a storm of dust and creating an huge crater in the earth.

_Speak of the devil..._ Zeit thought. _That being said, I should be able to use this... Let them fight each other; take care of themselves for me._

As opposed to attacking each other, the two men rounded on Zeit.

The Knight sliced him aross the belly, while Kenpachi tore off his left arm with a vicious swing from Nozarashi.

Gasping and vomiting blood, the young man fell back. His hair shrunk back into his head as he regressed in age. His arm reattached and the wound on his stomach vanished. The lengthy gash up his torso from before, however, reopened slightly.

_Battle-crazed brutes... _his mind hissed. _They're fighting on pure instinct. It's like they know they'll be able to continue their fight if they kill me first._

Dashing backwards, he summoned a bow into his left hand and sword into his right.

Railing an arrow into The Knight's chest, he blew his comrade back and took a slash at Kenpachi with the sword in his right hand. He managed to knick the Captain across the nose, but did little else.

Ducking underneath the blade of Nozarashi, the white and black-haired man retreated back. If there was one thing that he could count on, it was his speed. He was far more nimble than the two behemoths that chased after him.

Yet still, he was overpowered.

Even in spite of his speed, he was having to repeatedly shift his position in his timeline to recover from wounds. Despite his memories of the battle giving him a tactical advantage, he wasn't fast enough to respond to them.

As Kenpachi finished another massive swing with his Zanpakuto, The Knight leapt in, swathed in a haze of black, and cut Zeit's throat.

Again, the wound closed up.

Raising his left hand, the young man began to launch a barrage of arrows at the Captain. Explosions shook the area as Kenpachi's form was eclipsed in white light.

The black armour-clad Sternritter leapt through the blasts and stabbed Zeit through the collarbone.

Shooting another arrow into The Knight's helmet, the young man utilised the force of the explosion to throw himself away from his crazed comrade. Flung through the air, he grew older again; the stab wound at the base of his throat healing over.

His black combat boots dragging across the concrete, he lifted his head up and glared past the grey and red poncho that flared up from his shoulders. Blood dripped from his ear as a throbbing pain pulsed through his skull.

_Damn it... _he thought, his eyes hardening. _Have I reached the limit already? Just how many times have I moved through my timeline today? No, it couldn't have been that many. I'm fine, I can keep going... But..._

The two hulking men blazed at him yet again, brandishing their weapons. As they struck out, Zeit leapt into the air and dived over their heads and landing behind them. Turning about himself, so that he faced them, he continued on a backwards retreat.

_I'm going to need to be smart about how I deal with this... One of them, I'm confident I can hold my own, but two of them? I'm as good as dead if I slip up for a second. I need to find a way to direct their attacks towards each other; throw their timing off... Or perhaps..._

His two opponents whirled around and continued to chase after him. The metallic sound of The Knight's mangled scream filled Zeit's ears as he was charged.

Warping the shape of the sword in his right hand into the form of a bow, he began to rain arrows upon his opponents. Holding them at a distance, Zeit's coal black eyes began to scan his surroundings.

The ground around him was relatively flat. Even in spite of the wreckage, it was surprisingly level.

_Lenora must have altered this place to benefit someone else's battle._ As Zeit came to this conclusion, he took several steps backwards, still belting the two men with projectiles. _I can work with this._

Abandoning his barrage, Zeit suddenly swung his arms to his sides and fired arrows into the floor around him. As he did so, The Knight charged him.

He didn't move.

_That's it, come at me!_

The black armoured Sternritter's legs suddenly locked up underneath him. White light leapt up from the ground, shooting towards his feet in lines from the pock-marks left by Zeit's shots at the ground.

The Knight was trapped in the centre of a huge Quincy Zeichen.

The white and black haired young man rapidly lifted one arm and splayed his fingers. He spoke fast, his words rolling from his lips like a musical score that had suddenly switched to allegro. "Das Licht Gottes verlangt Ihre Freilassung. Spülen Sie Ihren Geist von bösen Gedanken. Zurück!"

Blazing white light, like liquid fire, roared up from the floor and eclipsed The Knight's form.

Reeling back from the explosions of the arrows, Kenpachi's bloody body dipped around the column of light. Lifting Nozarashi over his head, he swung the oversized ax down at Zeit.

Turning to the side, he just about avoided a fatal strike. Had he not moved, he would have been killed instantly. Instead, his nose was cleaved from his face and his left leg, in front by half a step, was ripped from his body.

Altering his position in time, Zeit's missing appendages reattached and his face grew more youthful.

_I hope to Yhwach my plan works..._

"I'm getting tired of that trick," Kenpachi spat out, as the boy ran away yet again.

Whirling to the side, he ripped the ax from the ground and swung the flat of the blade at the Quincy. The metal structure slammed into him and lifted the boy from the floor, flinging him through the air.

His left arm was broken in two places before rapidly re-setting as he spontaneously grew older again.

Crashing through several buildings, he lurched back to his feet. That was when his legs failed him. Blood dripped from his nose and the corners of his eyes.

_No... I can't have reached my limit already!_

Kenpachi appeared in front of him. Light flashed from Nozarashi as it descended upon the Sternritter.

Zeit's muted dark eyes opened wide. The Zanpakuto reflected in their surface, seemingly growing as it fell upon him.

There was a harsh metallic locking sound.

The Knight stood over Zeit, his broadsword blocking the slash.

"Well well," Kenpachi grinned. "Welcome back to earth."

The Knight ignored him, instead looking down at the young boy. "You used a purification spell on me..."

"It's usually used to cure hollow poisoning," Zeit's ancient voice choked out, in explanation. "I bolstered the effects by locking you inside a Sprenger."

"How did you know that it would work?" the voice echoed from inside the black charred armour. The red light that slipped through the cracks in the visor began to recede.

"I didn't..." Zeit replied. The old haggard voice wavered ever so slightly. "But it was the only thing I could think of that would bring you back to your senses... And I didn't particularly want to die."

Kenpachi stepped back and slung Nozarashi over his shoulder. His eyes twinkled gold as he looked over The Knight. "You still up for finishing this?" He flicked his eyes briefly over Zeit. "Without anymore interruptions."

Gritting his teeth, the young boy unsteadily rose to his feet and wiped the blood from his face. Without a word he leapt into the air and vanished.

The Knight turned towards Kenpachi and nodded in agreement. Around him, his blackened armour began to fall from his body, leaving only the tight mail that clung to his muscular form. "We agreed to a duel, and said duel only ends when one of us is dead."

Kenpachi said nothing. He smiled.

Reaching up, The Knight removed his helmet. Wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes were released into the open air. He had a strong jaw and boyish good looks. "I have enjoyed our fight," he said, softly content. "You are a very interesting man, Kenpachi Zaraki."

"I could say the same. Never thought I'd be able to enjoy anything this much." He tilted his head back, allowing the light to catch the scar that ran vertically down his face. "I've had fun. More fun, I think, than when I fought Her."

The Knight's smile broadened. "The next strike shall decide it," he said. "One final attack. Are you ready, Captain?"

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

The two men broke into identical smiles and lunged at each other.

* * *

The sound of a thunderclap echoed across the Silben. Everything shuddered.

Reiatsu unlike anything anyone had ever felt before washed over every single inhabitant.

Yhwach, still sat on his throne, looked up and peered out of the ice palace into the distance.

* * *

The Knight lay on his back, upon the ground. His body was cleaved down the front, vermillion blood cascading from within the chain mail covering him.

Beside him, his broadsword lay shattered.

His baby blue eyes sparkled as he looked up at his opponent and began to laugh.

Nozarashi had been cut almost completely in half. The top of the blade was missing. Kenpachi bore his own deep wound, however he was still standing.

Their blood mingled in a pool around The Knight.

"It appears that I have lost..." he said weakly, breaking into a smile.

"And it seems I won," Kenpachi replied.

"A favour... If... You would grant me one...?" the defeated Sternritter said, slowly. His injuries were already beginning to overwhelm him.

"Sure..." replied the Captain, disengaging his Shikai and kneeling down next to his fallen enemy.

The Quincy broke into a wide and bloody grin. "It was... fighting you that... made me realise who I... was..." His looked up at the Shinigami's face. "So if you don't mind... Could you... Give me a name?"

Kenpachi was almost taken aback. An expression of shock passed across his face. He cast his eyes downwards. "You don't need me to name you..." he said. "You've earned the right to choose your own name."

Then it was The Knight's turn to be shocked. His eyes opened wide, tears beginning to form in the corners of his deep blue pools. "A... Arthur..." he whispered. "I want... I want to be named Arthur. Arthur Pendragon."

Kenpachi smiled. "Well then, Arthur... You gave me one hell of a fight."

Beaming to himself, eyes still full of tears, Sternritter K: Arthur Pendragon died content.

Aya Herz arrived on the scene.

Seeing her friend die, she let out a chilling scream.


	45. Dances With Wolves

**Chapter 45: Dances With Wolves**

Aya Herz (Sternritter S) let out a bloodcurdling shriek and lunged at Kenpachi. Throwing off the glove on her left hand, she thrust her arm out.

Turning away from Arthur's body, Kenpachi lifted his sword and reflexively slashed at the young girl.

The small girl proved much faster than Kenpachi expected. She was far more nimble that perhaps even Zeit; however Kenpachi may have just been slower due to the wounds influcted on him by Arthur. Aya avoided the strike and grabbed the Shinigami Captain around the wrist with her bare left hand.

The instant that she touched him, an odd sensation began to shoot up Kenpachi's arm.

His flesh was rapidly morphing and hardening; becoming transparent.

Kenpachi narrowed his eyes. "Glass?"

"I'm going to shatter you!" Aya hissed, malice dripping from her voice.

Without a second thought, Kenpachi grabbed his sword with his left hand and hacked off the limb. Blood fountained into the air as he reeled backwards.

Moving to continue her assault, Aya stepped towards the Captain and crushed the limb under the heel of her steel shoes.

She failed to notice, however, Kenpachi's sealed sword flashing towards her head, just outside of her peripheral vision.

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) appeared behind the girl and grasped her around the waist, pulling her out of danger. Lifted into the air, on wings of solid ice, the pair flew through the air and into the distance.

"What are you doing?" Aya shouted up at her comrade.

"Saving your life," he replied, flatly. Glancing down at the girl, through eyes like chips of ice, he lowered his brows. "You're no match for him."

"He killed Knight!"

"Which is exactly why you need to run!" Snow snapped in reply. "If he killed Knight, he'll massacre you!" He gritted his teeth. "My opponent isn't much better..."

Aya looked up at the womanly man. "But you beat him, right?"

"I wish..." he replied. "Strong is an understatement. Even using my Schrift and the stolen Bankai, I was no match for him. The bastard was the Primera Espada..."

"But I thought he was dead?" Aya gasped is disbelief.

"He was," Snow ground out. "But it seems Captain Twelve had a little something to say about that. It was all I could do just to run."

In the distance, past the rushing of the air around them, Aya could make out a strange noise. It sounded like the cries of an animal.

"But he's coming..." The sound grew in clarity, until they were able to clearly discern it. The cries were the howls of wolves. "I can hear it..."

* * *

Kenpachi was about to give chase to the airborne Sternritter duo, when the pain assaulted him. The pain spreading from the final attack of Arthur Pendragon mingled with that of his severed arm to create a cocktail of agony.

Doubling over, he stabbed his sealed sword into the ground and put his weight on it, to steady himself.

Lifting his head, he was able to see the faint outline of icy wings, in the distance.

Still assaulted by pain, he moved to power through it. Digging his feet into the ground, he prepared to kick off and launch himself after the Quincy soldiers.

"Captain Zaraki!" suddenly cried out a voice.

His eyes flicked to the side, spotting a swarm of black Shihakushos running towards him.

A relief squad from the Fourth Division ran towards him. At their head was co-Third Seat Hanataro Yamada and flanking their sides were at least two dozen unseated members of the Eleventh Division.

"Captain, please sit still," Hanataro said, upon reaching the injured Kenpachi.

"You're a lot more pushy than the last time we met..." Kenpachi grunted, looking down at the young man as he began to tend to his arm.

"The last time we met, you weren't nearly dead," Hanataro replied.

"You're right..." Kenpachi grinned in response. "That came later."

The blood from his stump of a right arm had since stopped; the wound beginning to close.

The Captain laughed to himself, slightly. "To think that I beat one of the strongest Quincys, and a little girl is the one that took my arm."

"They're all strong," Hanataro responded. "Even their foot soldiers are more powerful than the average Shinigami. The only ones that can stand up to them are seated officers or members of your Division. That's why they've been escorting us around the battlefield."

"They have, have they?" Kenpachi smirked before shouting at his subordinates, in an almost mocking fashion. "I thought you scrubs hated the Fourth Division? Something finally changed your minds about that?"

Silence descended upon the group of Squad Eleven members.

"I think they've finally realised that we're useful," said Hanataro, keeping his attention focused on healing the Captain. "Medics are essential in war."

"Finally realised that, have they?" he chuckled. "I-" Kenpachi suddenly stopped short. He could hear something approaching.

It sounded like a pack of wolves.

As soon as he registered the sound, the pack had reached the gathered group of Shinigami. Blitzing through their ranks wolves, formless and rippling like flames, departed as soon as they arrived. In their midst a man, clad in white and grey, sped after the two fleeing Sternritter.

Hanataro and the other lower ranked Shinigami were left with identical bemused and confused expressions.

"What the hell just happened...?" one of the members of Squad Eleven asked.

Kenpachi chuckled under his breath. "Looks like I don't need to chase after those two... Someone else has got it covered."

* * *

Yhwach sat in his throne, staring out across the Silbern.

The clashes of spiritual pressure had finally quietened down, leaving only vague echoes rippling across the landscape.

Exhaling deeply, Yhwach closed his eyes as the cold wind billowed through his long black hair.

To his left stood Uryu Ishida.

"Your Majesty..." Uryu began, however was soon silenced by a wave of Yhwach's hand.

"Can you feel it Uryu?" he asked, still having not opened his eyes. "They are, all of them, falling in droves. The Soul Society is being crushed beneath our feet." His eyes opened and flicked upwards, towards the sky. "And the means of our victory is now approaching."

"Sounds fantastic to me," suddenly cooed a seductive feminine voice. Slinking around the edge of the throne, Gabriele Geschlechtliche (Sternritter V) rested her head on Yhwach's shoulder and peered out of the corners of her eyes at him.

Uryu's eyes suddenly snapped to his side. His body locked up. He hadn't even registered her entering the room, much less approaching His Majesty.

"Gabriele," Yhwach said, slowly. "Why aren't you out on the battlefield?"

"I was just thinking," she said, her eyes glowing eerily. "Lenora is dead... And I can see an open space to your right."

"And you were thinking about taking that space for yourself... Am I right?" Yhwach said, an amused smile plucking his lips.

"Well there's no sense in leaving the position empty," she replied. "After all... I've been with you the longest out of all of them. You can trust me."

"It isn't a matter of the length of service," the Quincy Kaiser replied, his eyes shining. "Lenora was the Grand Mistress of the Soldat; she was liked and respected by the troops. She was a natural leader. You, I'm afraid, are not..."

"That wasn't very nice, Your Majesty," she pouted, her painted black lips pursing. "I already have more than half of the Soldat under my control. And a few extra tricks up my sleeve..." She ran her glistening pink tongue over her lips and moved closer to the Quincy King. Her warm breath fell upon his neck. "Just give me a cha- Ugh!" Gabriele choked as Yhwach turned towards her hand grasped her around the throat.

Rising to his feet, Yhwach lifted Gabriele off of the floor by her neck. "Do not presume to give me advice," he said, his voice calm and flat. "You are not my right hand, no matter how much you wish to be."

Stood off to the side, Uryu averted his eyes and said nothing.

Gabriele continued to gasp and choke as Yhwach's grip on her neck tightened. Her legs dangled beneath her, limply. Her face began to turn red, blush spreading across her cheeks. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, as a slight moan escaped her lips. "Tighter..." she gasped. "Tighter, p-... Please..."

Yhwach dropped her. Collapsing to the floor, Gabriele lay back and closed her eyes, sighing and gripping her throat with one hand. Her other snaked along her body, over her white uniform.

Looking down at her, Yhwach lowered his eyebrows and narrowed his deep red eyes. "I will give you one chance."

Half opening her eyes, the female Sternritter peered through hooded eyes and continued to take shallow breaths.

"Bring me the head of one of the five War Potentials," he said. "Choose whoever you wish. If you do that, I may entertain your request."

Gabriele broke into a beaming smile. Her blush remained across her previously milky white cheeks. "Thank you..." she gasped. "Your Majesty..."

* * *

Ceros began to scream through the air, towards Aya and Snow. Deep blue flashes of spiritual energy burned up the sky around the pair.

"What the hell is this?" Aya shouted, over the blasts, at Snow. "How is he able to fire so many of these things so quickly?"

"The hell if I know!" Snow shot back, in reply. Glancing over his shoulder, his lifted his top lip to bare his teeth. "Shit... He's gaining, fast."

Coyote Starrk, flanked by a pack of ethereal wolves, lifted the gun in his right hand and pointed it towards the two Sternritter. "Cero Metralleta."

Blasts of spirit energy, too numerous and fast to count, blazed towards Aya and Snow. One of the shots managed to find their mark, tearing off one of the ice wings that adorned Snow's back.

Plummeting through the air, the two Sternritter crashed into the roof of one of the buildings beneath them.

Rising to his feet, Snow held his arm out and pushed Aya to his back. As he did so, the ice wings of Captain Hitsugaya's Bankai began to reform from the moisture in the air.

"He's focused on me at the moment," Snow said, not once taking his eyes off of the advancing Arrancar. "You should be able to slip away while I fight him off. I'll create a blizzard, as a distraction, and once I get the opportunity I'll hide and make my own escape."

"But I-"

"I'm not taking no as an answer," Snow replied. "We're dropping like flies out here, and I don't want you getting yourself killed just because you're angry at the Shinigami. I get it. But that's no reason to throw yourself at them and die."

"That's not what I was going to say..." Aya said, lifting her still gloved right hand and wiping her eyes. "I was going to say that I'll help you. If we work together, we may be able to both get out of this alive."

As she finished, Coyote Starrk touched down on the building opposite them. The wolves, formed from energy, stopped in their tracks and waited by his sides.

"You've finally stopped running, then?" Starrk asked, narrowing his visible eye. Around his head, his long brown hair was caught in the wind.

"Only because you shot off my wing," Snow retorted, smirking nervously.

"I don't like to fight... Or really do anything, for that matter," Starrk muttered. "But if I'm at least going to fight, I'd like it if you did the same."

"Forgive me," the white-haired Sternritter said. "But you caught me by surprise... Those wolves of yours are really something."

"Thanks," the Espada muttered.

Without another word, Snow's horns sprouted from his forehead. A fierce wind was whipped up around them and chilling snow swarmed through the air.

Everything was swathed in white, obscuring it all from view.

As the storm began to rage, Aya stepped back and dropped off of the edge of the building, into the shadows of an alley below. Once she was out of sight, Snow lunged forwards and formed a long blade of ice.

Two of the wolves dived forwards, into the snowstorm, and began to charge him.

"You won't be able to avoid me like that," Starrk muttered. "Wolves don't use their eyes to track... They use their sense of smell."

Locating the Sternritter, several feet from their master, the wolves chomped down into his flesh; latching onto his right calf and his left forearm. As soon as their teeth hit bone, they detonated violently.

The shockwaves from the explosions momentarily blew away the snow from the blizzard. In the aftermath of the blasts, before the storm too him again, Snow was revealed, covered in blood. He was severely burnt up his arm and leg, his uniform burnt away and the flesh underneath charred and red raw. The damage had been severely reduced, due to his Blut Vene, however the injuries were still serious.

Undeterred, Snow advanced forwards and lifted his ice blade.

"Colmillo," muttered Starrk. Shooting from the bandoliers adorning his body, bright blue and white reishi gathered in Starrk's hands and formed into the shape of a pair of long katanas.

The reishi swords clashed against Snow's ice, holding him at bay long enough for another of Starrk's wolves to bite the Sternritter on his right arm.

Leaping back, the Primera Espada moved clear of the blast, just before the wolf exploded.

He suddenly felt a firm grip on his right shoulder.

Glancing back, he laid eyes on Aya. The teenage girl had managed to sneak up behind him and grasp him with her left hand.

Almost immediately, his jacket began to turn into glass.

Ripping himself from her grasp, Starrk threw himself to the side and abandoned the coat. As it left his body, it fell to the ground and shattered into thousands of pieces.

_Glass...?_ he thought, as Aya disappeared from view again. _So that's what they're doing... He keeps me focused on him while she attacks me from my blind spots. But... It was a mistake not killing me with that first attack. I know what you're doing now._

In spite of his injuries, Snow threw himself at the Arrancar again. The snow filling the air began to clump together and solidify. Shards of ice filled the air and flew towards Starrk, as the Sternritter lifted his ice sword.

The Primera Espada swatted aside the ice shards, using his reishi blades, before turning his swings back upon themselves and blocking the slash of his opponent.

Forcing back the Quincy, Starrk slashed him down across the torso.

Beating his wings heavily, Snow retreated backwards. Again the blizzard cleared. The gap in the snow was just large enough for Starrk to spot Aya.

Turning to the side, he fired a Cero towards the girl. The blast collided with the girl-

-who subsequently exploded into shards of glass.

The visage of the girl was, in fact, an image seemingly painted onto the side of a nearby building; which had been entirely turned into glass.

Aya came at him again from behind. Noting the attack, Starrk moved his head to the left, narrowly avoiding the touch of her hand.

Retaliating with a slash, he knicked her across the arm before the girl disappeared into the blizzard again.

_What was that? Was it a reflection in the glass? No, it couldn't have been; it looked solid._

A lapse in the wind caused the blizzard to subside. Glancing around himself, Starrk realised that he was surrounded by at least eight different copies of Aya.

"Hyōryū Senbi!"

A wave of ice, in the shape of a crescent moon, suddenly flew through the air towards Starrk. Sidestepping around the attack, the Arrancar moved to send his wolves after the Sternritter again.

All of a sudden, an arrow lanced through the air, towards his head. Ducking forwards, he narrowly avoided the shot.

Glancing to his left, he registered Aya's location.

Leaning his body back, Starrk span on the ball of his left foot and turned towards the girl. Just as he prepared to attack her, however, the girl had vanished into the snowstorm.

A hail of ice shards blasted through the air at him, while he was distracted. Two of them caught him across the arm and the face.

As the Primera Espada flinched, in response to the cuts, Snow charged him again. Behind him, the wings of ice adorning his back beat furiously. A chilling wind blasted into the Arrancar, freezing his blood onto the surface of his skin.

Their blades began to clash over and over again. All the while, projectiles came at Starrk from all angles; him nimbly dipping and weaving out of the way of the shots.

_They're coming at me from different angles, but there's a delay in each shot... She must be moving around a lot to confuse me even more. Those fakes of her are bad enough, but this blizzard on top of it just makes it worse._

Aya continued to circle the Espada, taking pot-shots at him, as Snow held him at bay.

All she needed was the chance to touch him. One touch was all she needed, and the Primera Espada would be dead and buried.

She had taken precautions to ensure that her enemy had no idea where she would be attacking from. Using her left hand, she had transformed all of the surrounding buildings into glass; while with her right she had altered their colours so that it looked like she was standing in the open.

Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) lowered her brows as she moved about the battlefield, waiting for her chance.

That was when it happened.

Something collided with the Shakonmaku, above the Silbern. The resulting explosion was deafening, lighting up the entire sky and bringing everything into sharp, glaring focus.

Starrk instinctively looked up.

Leaping forwards, Aya seized her chance. Moving as fast as she could, her left arm shot out, towards the Arrancar. Digging her feet into the ground, she prepared herself to move back, after any kind of retaliatory attack was launched. Her fingertips grazed against the rough skin of his neck.

Coyote Starrk, the Primera Espada, was turned to glass in under three seconds.

Throughout the area, his ethereal wolves dispersed into the air, like dying flames.

* * *

Yhwach broke into a wide smile, as he watched the explosion rip through the air.

"And so you return... Ichigo Kurosaki."


	46. The Rising Star

**El Cuarenta Sexta Capítulo: The Rising Star**

As the Shakonmaku barrier was punctured, light seared across the entire of the Silbern.

Still stood on the top of a large building, Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) and Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) looked up at the sky. Flickering light glared across their eyes as their body was washed over by the overwhelming power descending from above.

"Ichigo Kurosaki..." Sylvanus muttered, half to himself. "I was wondering when you would show up..."

Jamina twisted her mouth nervously. Her red eyes flicked to the side and scanned her comrade. "So what do we do...?"

"Now we move," Sylvanus said. The toned muscles of his exposed body and arms tensed as he took a step forwards. Tendons rose up from his neck as he clenched his jaw. "If we're able to kill the Kurosaki boy, this war is as good as won." He glanced around the battlefield and narrowed his grey eyes. "Can you feel it? Everyone else is thinking the same thing. They're all going to converge where the boy lands."

"It's not really fair, is it?" the pink-haired girl said. "All of us ganging up on him at once."

"No..." Sylvanus muttered. "It's not... But this is war. Fair doesn't exactly enter into it. And, call me crazy, but I don't think His Majesty will be particularly pleased to know that any of us ignored the Kurosaki boy, when he was right in front of us."

Reaching up, he gripped one of the points of his necklace and snapped it off. Wind circled his body, in the familiar twin currents.

Stooping, he picked Jamina up and cradled her in his arms.

"Hold on tight," he said, looking down at her, before returning his attention to the plummeting figure in the distance. "We'll get there soon."

"Okay," Jamina replied, hooking her arm around the back of the muscular man's neck.

"And once we're there," Sylvanus continued, taking a deep breath. "Make sure you take care of yourself. I won't be able to watch your back all the time, so make sure you're safe... It's going to get crazy. I can feel it."

* * *

Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) felt the shuddering explosion. Turning about herself, her bright red hair whipped around her head. Her Sternritter uniform, stained red by Eric and Shuhei's blood, was caught in the shockwave and tugged at her body.

"Ichigo Kurosaki..." she whispered, her eyebrows lowering. Realisation passed over her face, and she turned away from the blast and looked upon the Ice Palace. "I guess it's time..."

* * *

Sternritter M, Joseph Fehler, was laying in the middle of one of the numerous streets of the Silbern. He was so still that anyone who passed him by would have assumed that he was another of the many corpses that had been strewn around the city.

The explosion signalling Ichigo Kurosaki's arrival roused him from his slumber.

Sitting up, he slowly pushed his half-rim glasses up his nose and blinked several times.

He yawned and pulled a curious expression. "Oh...?" he muttered. "Did I fall asleep again?" Looking down, Joseph checked his wristwatch and lifted his eyebrows, their forms arching across his forehead. "Wow, is it time for that already? I guess I had better get moving..."

Rising to his feet, he dusted off his white uniform and pulled his cloak tightly around his body.

Joseph eyed the falling figure, black against the blue midday sky, and broke into a brief smile. "As much as I would love to meet you in person, Mr Kurosaki, I'm afraid that I have other matters to attend to." He began to make his way towards the Ice Palace, permitting himself a quick glance over his shoulder. "I'm sorry for everything my comrades are about to put you through... I do hope that you make it out alive."

* * *

Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) was the closest to Ichigo Kurosaki's drop zone.

Turning her head up, spotting the boy, she broke into a harsh expression. Readying herself for battle, she moved her mantle onto her back, so that it acted less like a cloak and more as a cape.

Drawing her cavalry sword from her left hip, she readied herself to attack the boy.

Far from landing in a graceful and dramatic manner, however, Ichigo instead ploughed into the roof of an overlooking tower and proceeded to break through the building.

Clarimond broke into an expression of apathetic dismay.

"What an idiot..."

* * *

Ichigo slowly began to lift himself out of the rubble. Reaching up, to the turban wrapped around his scalp, he gingerly touched his head.

"Ow..." he grumbled. "That's going to leave a mark... I shouldn't have accellerated as much as I did."

Standing up straight, Ichigo shook his head and began to scan the area for Reiatsu.

_Renji... Rukia... Shuhei... Kenpachi... _he thought, pinpointing them one by one._ They're injured, but alive. Thank god for that..._

"Well well well," suddenly chuckled a slightly weak voice. "Look at what we have here."

Ichigo turned and laid eyes on a man. His hair was long and white, and his face extraordinarily beautiful. Had it not been for the voice, Ichigo might have confused him for a woman. He bore large burn wounds across his arms.

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) smirked slightly and tilted his head to the side.

At his back Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) stepped up onto the pile of rubble and looked down at Ichigo.

"So I take it you guys are the enemy?" Ichigo asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"You could say that," Clarimond Amsel said, appearing atop a half-collapsed wall, flanking Ichigo's right hand side.

"Three against one doesn't really seem very fair to me," Ichigo responded, in a mildly lighthearted tone.

"Three?" Snow parroted back, laughing slightly under his breath. "Looks to me like you need a bit of help counting."

Touching down on the ground outside the building, Sylvanus Athala and Jamina Jazdera appeared. Ichigo could see them through a hole in the wall, in front of him.

Just as he spotted them, Ichigo heard someone land on the rubble, several feet behind him.

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction), formed his twin swords without a word and glared at Ichigo through his midnight black eyes.

"Six on one..." Ichigo muttered under his breath. _And the one behind me..._ he thought. _His Reiatsu is monstrous. It's even more huge than Ulquiorra's was when I fought him in Las Noches. He'll be difficult enough on his own; not to mention the others._

Before he had any more time to analyse the situation, Zeit lunged at him.

Turning around, Ichigo drew his two Zanpakutos in one swift motion. Clashing against the young boy, he was surprised by the strength his opponent had.

Suddenly appearing to the Substitute Shinigami's right, Aya Herz leapt towards him, left hand raised.

Pushing Zeit back, Ichigo retreated several steps and avoided the attack of the girl. Just as he was about to retaliate, Sylvanus dropped from the sky and grasped him around the back of his decorative robes.

Flinging the orange-haired youth through the air, Sylvanus tore Ichigo's robes from his body and catapulted him from the wreckage.

Righting himself midair, Ichigo looked back down into the wreckage to see three of the Sternritter leaping up at him.

Arrows wizzed towards him, from the remaining three enemies on the ground.

Weaving through the air, he avoided the shots and again locked blades with Zeit.

Dipping his arms to the side, Zeit diverted Ichigo's blades. As he did so, Sylvanus moved to the opposite side and struck out with a straight right.

Ichigo tilted his head back, out of the way of the punch, however was still grazed across the tip of his chin.

Feeling a hand on the back of his Shihakusho, he turned his head and saw Clarimond gripping him tightly. Her right hand was raised, finger pointed towards Ichigo's face.

A concentrated beam of light shot from the tip of her index finger and burned through the air, at his head. Blazing across his face, the attack seared the skin of his left cheek, opening up a shallow cut.

Wrenching himself from Clarimond's grip, he continued to fall through the air and landed atop a neighbouring building.

Turning towards the Sternritter, he traced a line with the tip of the short sword in his left hand. "Getsuga Tensho."

A bright white blast of spirit energy rocketed through the air at his foes, eclipsing their forms in light.

_That should be enough to get them to back off..._

"San." Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) sprang up from the floor, in front of him, brandishing a bow and arrow.

"Whoa!" Ichigo shouted, flinching back and slashing out with the larger sword in his right hand. His retaliatory strike clashed with the tip of the Heilig Pfeil loaded into Basilisk's bow, causing it to explode violently.

Stumbling from the blast, Ichigo and Basilisk moved away from each other.

Once again, arrows began to launch towards Ichigo, through the haze of smoke settling upon the area.

Bobbing and dipping, Ichigo dodged the numerous attacks swarming towards him.

On the other side of the barrage, Jamina turned towards Sylvanus as she continuously launched arrows towards the Substitute Shinigami. "This is going a lot easier than I thought it would."

"Don't drop your guard," Sylvanus said, firing his own arrows at Ichigo. "He hasn't even released his Bankai, and it's taking seven of us to hold him like this. Not to mention, Zeit is one of us."

"But just think," Clarimond grinned. "If we manage to kill him, it'll be a major blow to them. It'll tip the tide in our favour. Then... We can kill them all."

"To think I almost forgot how much you hate Shinigami," Sylvanus interjected. His grey eyes narrowed and briefly flashed to the side, looking over the woman with black and white hair. "Your mask is slipping."

* * *

Yhwach moved almost fluidly, as he made his way to the top of the tallest spire of the Ice Palace. At his back, Uryu followed closely behind him.

Their footsteps echoed up the staircase, reverberating against the flat white walls.

Reaching the roof, Yhwach looked upon the battle on the far reaches of the horizon. Light flashed in his eyes, making them almost seem to glitter.

"Honour them, Uryu..." Yhwach said slowly, his deep voice rumbling from his lips. "Those that have fallen to lead us to the light. Their souls will pave the way to the Palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Uryu said, closing his eyes and bowing his head.

"Now..." Yhwach began, smiling to himself through his wild facial hair. His dark red eyes shone malevolently, throwing light down upon his cheeks. "Bring out the key. The time has come to enact our final play, in this game of war."

Without a word, Uryu drew a long ornate sword from his hip and held it over his head.

White light spewed from the blade and split into six beams. The glare etched itself onto the floor beneath the duo's feet, morphing into the shape of a huge Quincy Zeichen.

"Prepare yourself, Uryu," the Quincy Kaiser said, smirking. "We are about to venture into the realm of Gods."

* * *

Zeit Mehre charged through the middle of the blaze of arrows and lifted his dual swords.

The tip of one of the blades flew towards Ichigo's face, while the other was directed at the boy's chest. One strike was knocked aside, while the second was narrowly avoided.

Beginning to duel, the pair's swords flashed through the air in a blaze of sparks. All the while, they moved about each other, avoiding the swarm of oncoming arrows.

_Damn it, he's fast!_ Ichigo thought. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the two black swords he wielded. _I'm just about holding my own against him. He's way too strong._ His eyes looked past Zeit at the arrows shooting through the air. _And that's without all of these arrows. I didn't expect to have to use Bankai so soon, but if this keeps up, I may have to._

The white-haired Quincy aimed another slash at Ichigo's eyes, in an attempt to blind him.

Reeling back, to avoid the attack, Ichigo moved into the path of a reishi projectile. The shot caught him across his right shoulder, opening a deep cut along his flesh.

Hissing between his teeth, Ichigo swatted aside Zeit's follow up attack and struck out at the boy. The Sternritter leant back, avoiding the strike and retreated several spaces. As he was about to move in again, his eyes placed something in the distance.

Everyone suddenly stopped dead.

The projectiles stopped flying towards Ichigo, as did the swings of Zeit's swords.

The Substitute Soul Reaper moved back, to gain some distance.

_Why did they stop?_

Ichigo felt a shiver shoot down his spine. Every hair on his body stood on end, a feeling of unease washing over him.

Behind the orange-haird youth, a pillar of light shot into the sky.

Noticing the light, Ichigo turned towards it. "That light... What the hell is that?"

**Ichigo Kurosaki... **echoed a deep voice, inside his mind.

Ichigo's eyes opened wide in dismay. He recognised the voice. It was one that he was all too familiar with. It belonged to-

"Yhwach..." Ichigo hissed.

**I take it that my voice is reaching you...** the Quincy Kaiser continued. **You, who guided us to the light. To you, I have the utmost gratitude.**

Ichigo put his hand to his ear and narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Yhwach's voice chuckled softly. **Thanks to you... I am now able to invade the Royal Palace.**

The orange-haired youth felt his body suddenly lock up.

**Those clothes you are wearing,** Yhwach continued. **You obtained them in the Royal Palace, did you not? In order for you to pass through the seventy two layers of barriers between here and the Royal Palace, they would have to be very special. They would have to, say, be woven from the hair and bones of the members of the Zero Division, would they not?**

Ichigo began to tremble. He could practically feel his blood pulsing through his skull.

**Of course, such clothes would produce incredible resistance... And thus, I ask you. If something of such high defensive capabilities were to forcibly break through the barriers, what do you think would happen?**

Ichigo kicked off of the ground, shattering the concrete beneath his feet, and rocketed towards the source of the light.

**The barriers cannot be closed for one hundred minutes!** Yhwach's voice laughed, through his mind.

Sylvanus Athala appeared to Ichigo's right; his eyes blazing brightly with flickering white electricity. Slamming his fist into Ichigo's face, he knocked him off course, sending him ploughing through several buildings.

Immediately chasing after the Shinigami, Sylvanus flickered between the buildings and appeared in front of Ichigo, just as he pulled himself from the rubble. Swinging his leg up, he kicked Ichigo in the face.

Staggering backwards, Ichigo didn't even attempt to retaliate to the attack. Instead, he dashed to the side in an attempt to get closer to Yhwach.

"Oh no you don't," Sylvanus muttered, flashing after the young man. Grasping him by the back of his Shihakusho, with his lightning fast reflexes, he wrenched Ichigo back towards him.

Clarimond leapt into the air above them, just as her comrade had grabbed Ichigo, and began to launch arrows down at him, from her Reishi crossbow.

Diving from the blast radius, Ichigo continued to run towards Yhwach's location.

All of a sudden, his feet locked up. Ice spread over his limbs, fixing him to the floor.

"To think that you've been able to hold us off for this long..." Snow said, rushing towards him; the wings of Hitsugaya's Bankai adorning his back. "You really are something."

A huge spike of ice shot out of the ground and headed towards Ichigo's face.

However, before it could connect, a long metallic object came wizzing through the air and shattered it into thousands of pieces.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that," came a voice.

Renji Abarai retracted his Shikai and stepped out, on the top of a nearby building. His voice was weak, and his body beaten and bloody, yet he still wore a grin across his face.

"Ichigo!" he shouted. "Don't worry about this here."

Stepping up onto the building, beside him, Rukia Kuchiki held her own Zanpakuto out in front of her. To her left Kenpachi Zaraki, sans an arm, emerged and slung his sealed Zanpakuto up onto his left shoulder. Yachiru Kusajishi popped out of the rubble and drew her own sword.

Renji's smile widened. "We'll take care of things here."

Ichigo bowed his head ever so slightly and smiled. "Thanks guys."

Turning around, Ichigo again began to run towards the towering pillar of light. As the Sternritter attempted to give chase, the four Shinigami stepped between them.

"Now where do you think you're going?" Kenpachi grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We were just getting started here."

Sylvanus swallowed hard and retreated back by a half step. Placing his hand onto Jamina's shoulder, he didn't dare take his eyes off of the Shinigami as he spoke. "Jamina," he whispered, insistently. "I need you to get back."

As the pink-haired girl was about to respond, she was cut off by Snow, who was standing behind her. "He's right," the womanly man said, in a hushed voice. "We can handle this here. We outnumber them easily."

"You're our medic," Sylvanus continued. "We can't afford to lose you, or even let you get hurt."

Jamina opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. Nodding her head once, she leapt back from the group, away from the battlefield.

The Sternritter and the Shinigami moved slowly. Every movement was deliberate and carried great weight to it. The area grew silent. Even the wind didn't dare to blow.

The tension was so thick, that it could be cut with a knife.

Renji and Rukia lowered their brows and tightened their grips on their respective Zanpakuto. Kenpachi maintained his psychotic grin. Yachiru held a slightly jaded expression on her face, before breaking into a smile.

The Sternritter all bore stern, stoney expressions.

Jamina stood watching, from atop a building behind the group of Quincy soldiers. Flexing her fingers, she readied herself to provide covering fire for her comrades, should they require it.

A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Sylvanus' face.

All of a sudden, a wet crack echoed through the battlefield, breaking the silence.

The Shinigami's eyes all opened wide in shock.

Sylvanus turned his head away from his opponents, and looked behind himself. Horror coursed through his body, causing his exposed muscles to tremble.

"No..." he gasped, his voice cracking.

Jamina Jazdera (The Injection)'s head fell back, as if she were staring up at an object in the sky. Her bright red eyes lost the light behind them and began to roll back into her skull.

Her white nurses uniform was covered in blood.

Emerging from the middle of her abdomen was an arm.

"Something tells me that you were quite important." Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez looked down at Jamina's lifeless body, impaled on his arm, and broke into a slight smirk.

Sylvanus lost his composure and threw himself towards the Arrancar. "JAMINA!"


	47. Skyward Shot

**Chapter 47: Skyward Shot**

Ichigo Kurosaki sped towards the Ice Palace, marking the centre of the Silbern. Glaring across the shimmering surface of his eyes, in a white sheen, the pilar of light emanating from the tallest spire was fixed in his gaze.

Around his body a chilling wind caught his Shihakusho, tugging at it as he ran.

Atop the spire, Yhwach and Uryu looked down at Ichigo.

The Quincy Kaiser broke into a slight smile. "It appears Ichigo Kurosaki has arrived."

Still holding the sword above his head, Uryu motioned to move, however managed to restrain himself.

"Do not worry," suddenly arose a voice, from behind Uryu. The voice was soft and calming, the words falling from the owner's lips like balls of cotton.

A pure white hand reached over Uryu's shoulder and gently grasped the handle of the sword. Uryu turned his head and laid eyes on a figure, swathed in thick hooded white robes. Beneath the hood, the individual's face was dwarfed in shadow.

The young bespectacled Quincy still couldn't sense any Reiatsu from the odd individual, even after having laid eyes on it. Even stranger, he couldn't even feel the figure's presence.

"I shall hold open the door," it continued. "Please. Go and meet your old friend."

Uryu knitted his brows in confusion before releasing the sword and walking to the edge of the tower.

Ichigo spotted Uryu the instant he moved close enough to make out the three figures. Stopping dead, his eyes opened wide and his mouth hung open slightly.

"Ishida..." he gasped.

Yhwach prepared to launch an attack down at the orange-haired youth, however was soon interrupted. A huge white arrow ripped through the air towards the Substitute Soul Reaper.

Swatting aside the arrow with his larger blade, his maintained his shocked expression. "What are you doing up there?!" he screamed.

"Kurosaki..." Uryu began, his voice colder than the air around them. His middle finger slowly grazed his palm, where one of the reishi spikes had previously pinned him to the wall. "Do not attempt to defy His Majesty."

Ichigo attempted to charge again, only to be met with a hail of arrows. Knocking them aside, he glared up at his former friend. "Why are you doing this?!"

"I am a Quincy..." Uryu replied. "That is reason enough."

Leaping into the air, Ichigo caved the ground beneath his feet and moved through the swarm of arrows.

Uryu knit his brows together tightly. Light blazed from his left shoulder as he reared his arm back. "Licht Regen."

Thousands of arrows began to soar towards him in a blanket so thick that Ichigo's entire field of vision was filled with white. Lifting his arm, to shield his eyes, Ichigo braced himself to take the attack.

"Santen Kesshun!"

A transluscent orange triangle flashed into the air, in front of Ichigo, and blocked the rain of Heilig Pfeil.

Ichigo briefly glanced to the side and laid eyes on two figures. Orihime Inoue and Yastora Sado were running towards him.

Turning his attention back towards Uryu, Ichigo's eyes bulged. His former friend and the two figures that flanked him were steadily rising into the air.

"Ishida!" Ichigo screamed, desperately dashing forwards again. "Wait damn you! What the hell is going on?! Answer me!"

Uryu, Yhwach and the mysterious white figure vanished without a word. The pillar of light retracted; rocketing into the sky.

An enormous shockwave ripped across the entire Silbern, sweeping everyone off of their feet.

* * *

The Sexta Espada broke into a wide grin and briefly glanced down at the Sternritter impaled on his arm. Messy sky blue hair was tussled by the wind, matching the motion of his white jacket as it billowed around his sleek black outfit.

"JAMINA!"

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) threw himself at the blue-haired Arrancar and raised his right fist. His eyes crackled with bright white electricity, bolts dancing across his face. Straight white teeth bared themselves maliciously.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez threw down Jamina's lifeless body and lunged at the Sternritter.

The two men slammed the fore-joints of their right arms into each other. Immediately following up his attack, Sylvanus dropped to the right and kicked Grimmjow in the face with the shin of his left leg.

Breaking into a wide grin, past the mask fragment that was fixed to his face, Grimmjow retaliated. Spinning about his left leg, he made an almost complete turn and kicked Sylvanus in his side.

Crying out in pain, the Quincy's left foot found the floor; his back to the Arrancar. Screaming in rage, he leapt backwards and elbowed Grimmjow in the chest.

As the Espada was stunned by the attack, Sylvanus used the opportunity to turn to his left and slug the Arrancar in the face, with his right fist. Then again with the left. And yet again with his right.

Grimmjow spat blood and responded in kind, punching the Sternritter square in the jaw.

Sylvanus was undeniably faster than his opponent, due to his Thunderstorm ability, however his punches were too weak. They lacked the weight needed to do any serious damage to the Arrancar.

His fellows could see it.

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction) signalled to his comrades to attack. While he and Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) attacked the Shinigami, the remaining two turned back and dashed to aid Sylvanus.

The gigantic shockwave, created by the Quincy Kaiser's departure, blasted across the landscape and slammed into the combatants.

As he was lifted into the air, Sylvanus instinctively thrust his arms out at lightning speed and grabbed hold of the lapels of Grimmjow's jacket.

"You're not going anywhere!" Sylvanus spat out, as the pair began to tumble through the sky, carried by the force of the blast.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki, Yastora Sado and Orihime Inoue landed in the wreckage of a destroyed building, atop the shield of the Santen Kesshun.

Shrapnel and rubble rained down on them from above. Clouds of dust billowed softly through the air before eventually settling down and clinging to their clothes.

"Damn him..." Ichigo choked out, laying back and resting his forearm over his face. Distress clung to his features, half obscured from view.

Sitting up and staring at him, Orihime broke into a worried expression. She knew exactly how he was feeling. To find that Uryu had sided with the enemy had shocked all of them.

Ichigo was still attempting to process all of it.

Without warning, Chad appeared behind him and lifted the orange-haired young man over his head.

"Chad?!" Ichigo blustered. "What the hell are you-? AHH!"

Flinging his friend, with all of his might, Chad launched Ichigo through the air and into the side of a nearby structure.

"What the hell am I doing?" Chad shouted back at him, before he had a chance to speak. "I should be the one asking you that! You're not the only one that saw Ishida standing up there. What good will it do you to just sit and do nothing?"

Ichigo said nothing. Lifting himself up out of the shattered concrete, he listened intently to what Chad had to say.

"That's not the Ichigo that I know!" Chad continued, berating his friend. "Ishida must have a good reason for siding with them, so shouting at him won't make any difference. The Ichigo that I know would beat some sense into him and drag him back, himself!"

Ichigo broke into a subtle smile. Chad's sudden pep-talk had shocked some sense into him; the harshness of his words and actions bringing him back to his senses. "Yeah... You're right."

Orihime's face brightened into a beaming smile. "So we're going to go after him?"

Ichigo looked down at the girl and nodded. "Yeah, we are."

"Urahara should know a way to get back up to the Royal Palace," Chad said, his giant frame moving slowly as he helped Orihime to her feet. "We just need to find him."

"Good idea," Ichigo said, picking himself up and preparing to drop from the shattered building to join his friends on the ground. "Where do you think he is?"

"I was wondering that myself," cooed a sickly sweet voice, over Ichigo's shoulder.

Feeling warm breath against his neck, Ichigo instinctively jumped forwards and turned, drawing one of his two blades.

Chuckling to herself, Gabriele Geschlechtliche (Sternritter V) stepped out of the shadows inside the building, as Ichigo touched down on the ground. Sweeping one hand back through her glossy black and red hair, her eyes began to glitter.

Orihime and Chad both froze. The moment they laid eyes on the woman, they were overcome with a sinister feeling. Chilling sweat clung to their bodies, gripping them like ice.

"I was told that I had to kill one of the five War Potentials, so I was going to go after him," she said, her black lips curling into a smile. "But to think that the First just dropped into my lap. I couldn't have planned this better if I tried." Her eyes moved quickly, scanning the area. "And look at that. No one around to steal my prize. This must be my lucky day."

Ichigo moved slowly as he began to analyse the opponent in front of him. In spite of the woman's girlish voice and beautiful appearance, he could feel something menacing about her. Her movements were purposeful and deliberate, indicating that she was a seasoned warrior.

However, the thing that disturbed Ichigo most of all was that he could feel barely any Reiatsu from her. Had he not felt her breath on his neck, he was sure that the woman would have very nearly killed him.

"Kurosaki-Kun," Orihime whispered, moving slowly behind the Substitute Shinigami. "You need to go after Ishida-Kun... We can-"

"No," Ichigo interjected sharply. "I know you and Chad have gotten stronger, but I can't let you fight her on your own. Something about her feels... Off. Besides... We're in this together now."

"Aww are you talking about little old me?" Gabriele snickered, leaning forwards and lifting one finger to place it on her cheek.

Ichigo ignored the sultry woman's remark, instead continuing to talk to his friends. Not once did he take his eyes off of Gabriele. "I think our best bet is to hit her hard as a group; don't give her any time to counterattack."

"Good plan..." Chad muttered in response, slowly taking a step towards the Quincy.

As they conversed, Gabriele held her fingers to her mouth and began to giggle.

"Ready...?" Ichigo asked, his voice deliberately low.

"As I'll ever be," Chad replied, kicking off from the ground and leaping forwards. His arms warped and changed, glowing with reishi as he readied himself to attack. Rearing up his black and red right arm, he formed a fist and roared: "El...!"

Ichigo drew his short sword from the sheath at his side, joining his friend in lunging at the Quincy. White reishi enveloped the blade. "Getsuga...!"

Gabriele broke into a wide toothy smile, her eyes gleaming with madness as she prepared herself to take the attacks.

"DIRECTO!"

"TENSHO!"

White spiritual energy eclipsed Gabriele's form in a bright flash. The building in which she stood was completely annihilated, vanishing inside the roar of the resulting explosion.

Appearing a considerable distance to the right of the trio, her smile widened. Gathering the airborne reishi from the area, she formed it into a huge white crucifix, easily longer than she was tall. Mounted on it was a grim visage of Yhwach, formed from white reishi.

Spinning the structure around herself, she pointed the longest end of the cross at her opponents and started to launch projectiles.

"Shiten Kōshun!"

A wide triangular shield snapped into place between the group and Gabriele. As he reishi shots collided with the barrier, there was a harsh flash. The attack was reflected back upon the Sternritter with a force greater than that of the initial blasts.

Dodging the repelled attack, Gabriele knitted her brows together and took note of Orihime.

Her eyes suddenly snapped to her left. Chad had appeared beside her, his right arm again raised.

Noticing the familiar glare of white spirit energy adorning the Mexican's fist, Gabriele leaned back, out of the way of his attack and dispersed her weapon. As his fist passed her by, she thrust out her right hand and grabbed Chad around the wrist. Wrenching him forwards, she slammed her left fist into the side of his face.

Reeling sideways from the attack, Chad turned back towards her and swung his pure white left fist upwards at the woman's face.

Tilting her head to the side, Gabriele avoided the punch and summoned a smaller crucifix into her right hand. Lifting it, she blasted an arrow towards Chad's face.

"Santen Kesshun!" A small orange shield appeared in front of the Fullbringer's face and took the brunt of the attack, before shattering.

Leaping back, Gabriele bared her teeth in a ecstatic grin just as Ichigo launched himself at her.

The crucifix in her right hand increased in size, until it had grown to its previous length. As Ichigo met her in combat, she began to aggressively block and parry his strikes with the white reishi structure.

As they fought, the Sternritter's movements began to grow increasingly more erratic. However, even in spite of this she managed to defend against all of the orange-haired boy's attacks.

_Damn it she's fast,_ Ichigo thought to himself. _The white haired one earlier was more skilled, but she's definitely faster. But she's acting almost entirely on her instincts... That's good. It means I can out manoeuvre her._

As she span the crucifix around her hands, Gabriele let loose a series of arrows from the foremost tip, directed at Orihime. They moved insanely fast, and her shield was still hovering in front of Chad. The shots exploded, sending the brown haired girl flying into the air.

Distracted by the shots, Ichigo locked weapons with the Sternritter and panicked. "Orihime!"

"Whoops, don't take your eyes off me," Gabriele laughed maliciously. Her cross shattered in her hands, into bright white shards of reishi. Suddenly grabbing both of Ichigo's wrists in one hand, she lifted her right and materialised her smaller cross into her fist and pointed it at his face.

Ichigo opened his mouth to shout, however soon found the action impeded. Gabriele jammed the end of her crucifix into his mouth and began to accumulate reishi for a Heilig Pfeil.

"Want to know what death tastes like?" she chuckled, madness shining behind her eyes.

For an instant, Ichigo felt as if time had frozen. Blood pulsed through his brain, seething hot and burning his senses with heat more fierce than that of the blazing arrow jammed into his mouth. Fear coursed through Ichigo's body. Powerful as he was, there was no way that he would be able to survive a shot like that.

Gabriele's pronounced canines caught the light as she prepared to loose the arrow directly into Ichigo's head.

All of a sudden, the Quincy woman's eyes shot up. Sailing through the air towards her was the disembodied fist of a giant.

Releasing Ichigo, she jumped back and avoided the strike.

Whistling between her teeth, Gabriele's glossy black lips curled into a smile. "Well look at this..." she cooed, looking over her new opponent. "Looks like I've got myself another one."

Stepping out onto the top of an overlooking building, Captain Sajin Komamura glared down at the female Sternritter. Clad in bright silver armour, the midday light caught his form and glittered brightly. Enclosing over his head was the smooth dome of a helmet.

"The Captain of Squad Seven," Gabriele giggled. "You're the last person that I expected to see here." Pointing her crucifix towards the Captain, she tilted her head to the side. "I'd usually be happy to fight you, but right now you're unnecessary. So if you can just go ahead and die real quick, that would be perfect."

As the woman's Heilig Pfeil rocketed through the air, Komamura stepped forwards. The arrow caught him across the shoulder plates of the armour before glancing off of the smooth surface and soaring skyward.

"Kurosaki Ichigo!" Komamura shouted. "I shall deal with this one! You and your friends move west! There you will find Kisuke Urahara!"

Ichigo and his friends found themselves lock up hesitantly.

Falling upon the Sternritter, the Captain swung his sword arm down at her. Above his head, the phantasmal form of a gigantic arm wielding a sword mimicked his action perfectly.

The female Quincy defended herself with one Blut-enhanced arm and broke into a grin. The enormous blade grated against her skin, shooting sparks into the air. "You really think that I'll let you do that?"

Komamura ignored her. His oversized sword faded as he swung a left hook at the woman. Simultaneously, a gigantic fist appeared next to her and slammed into her side, sweeping her off of her feet and smashing her through several buildings.

"Go now!" the Captain barked at them.

Ichigo broke into a brief smile and nodded. "Thank you."

Kicking off from the ground, the trio disappeared in between the buildings; heading west.

"Oh you're not getting away that easily," Gabriele laughed, rising to her feet amidst a cloud of dust.

As she moved to chase after the group, she found her progress impeded by the hulking Captain. "I think you'll find that they are," his voice echoed from within his helmet.


	48. Nosferatu

**Chapter 48: Nosferatu**

_Disclaimer:_

_This chapter contains themes and content that some readers may find disturbing. While not expressly stated, allusion to rape and torture is present from the outset and throughout._

_I ask that everyone act in a respectful manner during review and discussion of this chapter._

_Reader discretion is advised._

* * *

**-Principality of Wallachia; 1473-**

A young woman lay discarded, on the edge of a muddy dirt road. Rain lashed down upon her, her form half submerged in a murky deluge. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth and mingled with the dirty water that washed around her.

Her clothes were ripped and torn, hanging loosely from her body and barely covering her. Atop her head, the woman's back hair was matted and crusted with mud, sticking to the side of her face.

Bloodshot eyes peered past blackened and swollen eyelids, coming to rest on the destruction visible on the horizon.

The ground was scorched and blackened by fire; streams of blood snaking between the blazes, from the hundreds of bodies that littered the landscape. Yet more corpses lay prostrate, and even more numerous were those impaled upon spikes, decorating the battlefield like perverse flowers.

Tears flowed from the woman's eyes, stinging her bruised and cut cheeks.

She could practically feel her lungs shutting down as the tuberculosis that infected her tightened its grip. Blood from her wounds was quickly departing her body, the haemophilia that afflicted her increasing the speed at which she bled out.

Hazes of recent memories flashed in her vision. The black robes rippling from the bodies of the men as they took her.

She still couldn't understand how no one could see them, but her.

Dragged from her home, she was pulled outside in the confusion of the battle. Even now she could still hear the screams and sounds of war. They had been burned into her mind; the soundtrack to her nightmare.

Writhing on the floor, she locked her legs and grimaced in pain. It still hurt.

Digging her fingers into the mud, the woman began to push herself upwards. Her arms began to tremble, the sensation spreading all over her body until her teeth began to chatter.

A barely-audible wail escaped the young woman's lips, tumbling down her chin like chilling ice.

Giving way beneath her own weight, her arms slipped through the mud and she fell face first into the dirt.

The stinging tears continued to stream from her eyes as she began to sob and convulse. Vomit caught in her throat and a burn spread across the inside of her chest.

Käthe Gabriele Elfriede Geschlechtliche wrapped her arms around her naked body and lost herself in tears.

**"Why are you crying, my child?"** suddenly echoed a voice, reverberating inside her head.

Käthe didn't know how to respond. She didn't even know what the voice had said; it spoke in a language that she didn't understand, much different from her native Romanian.

Lifting her head, she wearily began to look around herself. There was no one there; no one present to speak the words that she heard.

The voice continued. Much to her dismay, however, she began to slowly understand the words. **"-those Shinigami do this to you?"**

Käthe's head swayed groggily. Her words tumbled half-formed from her mouth as she answered. "Sh-... Shinig...ami?"

**"The men in the black robes,"** the voice answered.

"Y... Yes..." she sobbed in reply, retching on pain and half vomiting blood. "Wh... Why did they..." Käthe bit back her words as pain lanced up from between her legs, rippling through her body. "Why did they do this to me?"

**"They were defectors from the Soul Society,"** replied the deep voice. **"No doubt they probably decided to amuse themselves in the World of the Living..."** There was a long pause, interrupted only by the sound of the lashing rain and the grimaces of pain from the woman. Suddenly, the voice spoke again.** "Do you wish to get revenge?"**

Käthe fought back the pain and gritted her teeth. Peering through her black eyes, she still couldn't place the owner of the voice. "Where... Are you?"

**"Right now I do not have a physical form... Nor shall I for over five hundred years."**

"Who... Who are you?" Käthe asked, weakly.

**"My name is Yhwach, and I am your King,"** the voice continued. **"And so I ask you again... Do you want revenge?"**

Trembling like a leaf caught in a fierce wind, the young woman raised her head from the mud and dug her fingers into the earth. Her teeth again gritted, her voice hissing through them forcefully. "Yes..." she ground out.

**"Splendid..." **the voice echoed, a hint of amusement playing through it.

Suddenly appearing in front of the beaten and defiled woman, floating in the muddy water, was a dish filled with deep red liquid.

**"Drink my blood, and I shall carve a letter into your soul. That letter shall become your power. And with that power... You will serve me. And when the time comes, we shall slaughter the Shinigami. Drink, and you shall be my first... My Sternritter."**

Reaching out with one shaking and unsteady hand, Käthe grasped the dish and brought it to her lips. Without hesitation, she drew back her head and allowed the dark crimson liquid to slip down her throat.

As she did so, her freezing body began to feel warm. The pain that wracked her body subsisted, to be replaced with a pleasurable sensation.

Her dark brown eyes swirled and morphed, beginning to glow bright red. Protruding from her gums, her teeth began to elongate and sharpen, jutting out into the open air. Red streaks of hair began to sprout from her scalp and meld with her matted black hair.

All over her body, the wounds that previously decorated Käthe's form began to close up.

Shallow breaths rocked her naked body; her chest heaving up and down.

"More..." she gasped, pink blush spreading across her cheeks.

Her neck bowed forwards, rapidly. Bright red eyes widened as her gaze fell on a pool of blood, stark against the brown mud.

"More!" Käthe shouted, desperately. Lurching forwards, she dived into the pool of blood and began to gulp it down.

That was when it happened. Blood from all across the battlefield began to converge and flow towards the woman, into her pursed lips, down her throat and into her stomach.

Gasping between gulps, she continued to chant over and over. "More! More! More!"

All of a sudden, her joints locked up and her body began to convulse and spasm. Still, however blood continued to flow into her mouth.

Flashing in front of her eyes were visions, images and fragments of pictures forcing themselves into her brain. The memories of the dead, who's blood from which she drank, began to pour into her skull.

As all the blood finally drained from the battlefield, she found herself writhing and screaming. "It's too much! It's too much! Make it stop!"

The memories and knowledge continued to storm through her mind, lighting up her nerve endings like thunderstorms in the middle of a hurricane.

Falling back, she spasmed one final time.

Once the process was complete, the young woman lay on her back, staring vacantly up at the cloudy sky. Rain continued to lash down upon her. Her eyes were glazed over and her lips parted.

Her breathing began to slow, flowing smoothly in and out of her lungs.

A slight smile plucked the corner of her lips, and something strange began to twinkle behind her eyes.

Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) burst into a hysteric stream of laughter.

* * *

Sajin Komamura, the Captain of Squad seven continued to duel with the female Sternritter that he had made his opponent.

Even in spite of his position as a Captain, the young woman had him on the ropes. She was much faster than he was and, while he was able to trump her in strength, it was no use if he was unable to land a clean hit on her.

Luckily, the Captain's new armour had been taking the brunt of most of the Quincy's attacks. However, he wasn't sure how much longer it would last.

Lifting his left arm, Komamura repelled another shot of reishi across his armoured gauntlets, before slashing out with the disembodied sword of his Shikai.

Gabriele responded in kind, lifting her left arm and blocking the slash with her forearm. Glowing blue veins rose up to her skin as she activated Blut Vene and held back the force of the attack.

Shrugging off the Captain's attack, Gabriele lunged forwards and formed a sword from reishi into her hands. Swining the blade down, she attempted to slash down Komamura's torso. When it came into contact with the armour, however, the sword shattered into bright white shards of reishi.

Breaking into a grin, Gabriele retreated back. "That armour sure is sturdy," she chuckled.

Komamura said nothing. He merely glared at the woman through the visor of his helmet.

"Look..." Gabriele said, cocking her head to the side and narrowing her eyes. "This is fun and all, and you're stronger than I expected you to be, but... Give it up. We both know that I'm going to kill you sooner or later. So if you could just get out of my way, and let me go after the Kurosaki boy, that would be fantastic."

"I cannot let you do that," the Captain said. He moved his sword slowly and formed himself into a defensive stance. "I may have been unable to catch the man who murdered Genryusai-dono... But if I am to place my faith in anyone to chase him, it would be Ichigo Kurosaki. For that reason, I will hold you here... And kill you."

Gabriele pursed her lips and began to shake, as if fighting something back from within herself. Her eyes glowed with amusement. Soon, she had burst out laughing, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You're going to kill me?" she laughed. Wiping a tear from her eye, she breathed out slowly and continued to chuckle under her breath. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh... But... Do you even know who you're talking to?"

Komamura offered no response.

Pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear, the female Sternritter smiled sweetly. "My name is Gabriele Geschlechtliche. I am the oldest, and one of the seven strongest Sternritter." She laughed briefly. "Well... I guess it's one of five now." Her eyes began to glow and swirl malevolently. "So forgive me for not thinking you can kill me."

"Even if you are strong," Komamura said. "That doesn't mean that you can't be beaten..."

Gabriele broke into a smug expression. Lifting her hands to her sides, she widened her eyes. "If you're so confident, then attack me."

The Captain hesitated for a brief second. For a moment, he worried that the goading was intended to draw him into a trap. However, after quickly analysing the expression on the woman's face, he decided to attack.

Leaping forwards, he thrust his sword out. Mimicking this action, the phantasmal blade of the giant lunged forwards and impaled the Sternritter through the abdomen. The sword was so large that the back edge of it jutted out uncomfortably from the top of her left collarbone.

Blood gushed from the wound and stained her white uniform, before running down her shapely legs and pooling on the floor beneath her.

And yet the Sternritter did not die.

Still smiling, she lifted her right arm and gathered blood from her wound on her fingers. Bringing the glistening red digits to her lips, she sucked them into her mouth.

Komamura recoiled in shock. The enormous blade was pulled from the woman, before vanishing.

"Too bad, so sad," Gabriele grinned, staggering ever so slightly. All of a sudden, her wound spontaneously closed up; the pool of blood surrounding her being drawn back inside her body. "You want to try that again?"

Instead of attacking again, Komamura leapt backwards. No sooner had he done so, Gabriele had reformed her giant crucifix and launched a humongous arrow at the Captain.

Slamming into his front and detonating violently, the resulting explosion took the Shinigami Captain off of his feet and flung him through the air like a rag doll. Ripping through several buildings, he came to rest beneath a massive pile of rubble.

"And that takes care of that," Gabriele chuckled, dispersing her crucifix. Clapping her hands together and dusting off her torn uniform, she began to walk forwards, her thigh high leather boots clacking against the ground. Glancing around herself, she attempted to discern where Ichigo Kurosaki was. "Now... Where did he go?"

"Wait!" suddenly roared the Captain's voice. Dragging himself from the debris, he discarded his shattered breastplate and readied himself for combat again. "If you think that was enough to defeat me, you're sorely mistaken!"

Gabriele raised one eyebrow and sighed. "You don't give up, do you?"

* * *

"Damn them..." Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) groaned, slowly lifting herself to her feet. "Why didn't they give us any warning before they launched themselves up like that...?"

The shockwave resulting from Yhwach and Uryu's departure had carried so much force behind it, that group of Sternritter and Shinigami had all been separated; flung across the Silbern.

Quickly scanning the area, Clarimond tightened the clasp of her white cape around her neck and began to chew on the base of her thumb.

_Just my luck... _she thought to herself. _Everyone else probably landed with an opponent nearby. But here I am all alone, not even one of my own comrades here to keep me company._

Leaping up onto the top of an overlooking building, she quickly climbed the spire and hung from the weather vane perched atop it. Drinking in the environment, she spotted several different battles occurring, scattered across the white expanse of the Silbern.

Breaking into a sigh, she glanced up at the sky. Far above her head, she could see a faint shimmer as the shot of light continued to scream up into the air.

As her field of vision moved downwards, she caught sight of one battle in particular. Her keen purple eyes picked out the forms of Captain Komamura and Gabriele locked in combat. Every so often, she was able to catch a glimpse of the Captain's Shikai manifesting and ripping through the air.

"Someone's fighting Gabriele..." she muttered under her breath. "That's a big mistake... Even I'm smart enough to realise that she's a monster."

"So you would recommend extracting a sample after she has already been dealt with, am I correct?" cackled a voice from behind Clarimond.

Looking over her shoulder, the female Sternritter leapt from the spire and touched down on the rooftop below; her white and black streaked hair billowing around her head.

Stood across from her, draped in a new outfit, was Mayuri Kurotsuchi. No longer was his garb emanating bright white light. Instead he wore a deep purple head dress, styled into two pointed horns that curled forwards over his painted face. The remainder of his attire consisted of the standard Shihakusho and Captain's Haori.

The Captain of Squad Twelve's yellow eyes widened maliciously and his bared golden teeth caught the light in a vicious glint.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Clarimond said slowly, her voice bearing a great weight behind it. Lowering her eyebrows, she flexed her fingers and gripped the hilt of the cavalry sword fastened to her hip.

"The one and only," he said, tilting his head to the side and maintaining his lip-less smile. "You piqued my interest quite a bit, before you managed to dispatch my zombie," the Captain continued, taking several stepped forwards and raising his arms beside his head. "What would you say to becoming one of my test subjects?"

Clarimond locked her jaw and began to grind her molars together. Rage bubbled through her system and burned inside her chest.

"I'll offer you the best possible terms," Mayuri said, raising a single finger in a matter-of-fact manner. "I will refrain from performing any body modifications on you; and restrict your daily drug regimine to only five doses. You'll be fed orally, and will even be provided clothing when you sleep." Madness twinkled in his eyes. "So... What is your response?"

"What is my response?" Clarimond scoffed, seething with anger. Disbelief etched itself across her face. "Do you even have to ask something like that?" When she received no reply, other than the Captain's smug smile, the Sternritter began to pace. "You know, I know all about you. About your experiments on the Quincy. It would be difficult to find even one person in our army that didnt..."

"I'm glad that my word of my work has spread so far," the Captain replied, mockingly.

Ignoring the spiteful jape, Clarimond continued. "There are a lot of us that have a reason to hate you." A slight tremble began to spread across her body, as she resisted the urge to start biting her hand. "But do you know which one of us probably hates you the most?"

Mayuri simply lifted an eyebrow, mildly intrigued.

Clarimond fixed him in her gaze. "Me."

The Captain remained silent. Whether it was out of apathy or intrigue, Clarimond couldn't tell, however she continued all the same.

"When I was nine years old, I watched as my whole family was slaughtered," she spat out, incensed. Still clasping the hilt of her blade, her hand shuddered more violently than ever, the fingers of her other hand beginning to tap in sequences of three at her side. "Killed on your orders, so that you could use them in your... Experiments." Speaking the last word with such force that it shot from her mouth like a bullet, Clarimond bared her teeth. "One of my comrades... Eric... He went through the same thing. But I didn't tell him that it was you." Her eyes narrowed. "I wanted to kill you all on my own."

"Such hostility," Mayuri laughed. "You displayed nothing like this the last time that we encountered one another."

"I don't like others knowing things about me," Clarimond said, flatly. "So when the other Sternritter are around I act." The shaking of her hands had intensified to the point where she was practically vibrating. Unable to control the compulsion any longer, her right hand shot up to her mouth and she began to gnaw the gap between her index finger and thumb. "But now..." She let out a single forceful breath. "Now I don't have to hide it anymore."

"Splendid," the Shinigami Captain grinned. "Well then... Seeing as you're so fixated on killing me... Why not give it a shot?"

"Trust me... I plan to."

"Excellent, excellent," Mayuri chuckled, his deranged smile only growing wider. Glowing from his face, his yellow eyes bulged with pure untainted glee. "But know this: Should you fail to kill me, I will not hesitate in making the experiments on you as painful as possible. One by one I shall pluck off your fingernails; strip by strip I will tear off your skin; inch by inch I shall pull out your entrails. Every scrap of sinew, every minute fragment of hair; I will analyse all of it. And once that is done I will pass every last bit of you through the grinder. Now tell me, Quincy... Knowing all of that, do you still want to continue this futile resistance?"

* * *

Gabriele began to slice away at the giant Captain, aiming for gaps in his extensive armour. Having long since abandoned her crucifix in favour of a reishi sword, she made a point of moving inside the range of Komamura's attacks.

Ineffective though they may have been, she was eager to end the fight as quickly as possible and, as such, was focused on taking as few hits as possible.

Yet no matter how many times she cut him, the Captain would not relent. He just kept going.

Dipping in and out to hack at Komamura, Gabriele quickly analysed his fighting style, waiting for the perfect moment to finish him off.

_He's unusually co-ordinated for his size, and his strength is practically inhuman_, she thought to herself, dipping and dodging, continuing to take swipes at the Captain. _I'm barely wounding him... But... _Gabriele narrowed her eyes and broke into a slight smile. _Every tenth strike, there's a moment where his swing is too wide. It leaves his ribcage exposed._

Komamura lunged forwards, rearing up his right arm.

_There it is!_

Gabriele ducked under the sword and thrust her left arm forwards. Forming into her hand was a long knife, constructed from white ambient reishi.

The blade sunk into the Captain's abdomen and punctured his lung. Blood spewed from the wound and splashed onto the floor. Gagging inside his helmet, Komamura spat yet more blood through the visor and fell to his knees.

Leaving the knife embedded in the Soul Reaper, Gabriele stepped back and smiled sweetly.

"Well, this has been fun," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "But I really do have to go now..."

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Komamura ground out, grasping the knife and pulling it from his body. Even more blood followed in the wake of the weapon, slipping from the wound.

"Oh please, don't play with me," Gabriele laughed. "I ruined your lung, and you've lost too much blood; you're as good as dead. Trust me, I know."

"Really?" the Captain replied, reaching up with his left hand to remove his helmet.

As the metal was unfastened from his head, the female Quincy caught herself in dismay.

Golden locks tumbled from the structure and fell down the back of the kneeling Shinigami. Rugged handsome good looks mounted a head, bearing a strong jawline. Flaring from the sides of the head were a pair of stout dog-like ears.

The appearance of the Captain was not that of a dog; but that of a man.

"Who ever said that you were the only one that couldn't die," Komamura said, sternly.


	49. The Devil's Waltz

**Chapter 49: The Devil's Waltz**

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) roared in chilling rage as he once again slugged his opponent across the face. The rock that encased his fist cracked as he did so, the sheer force behind his punch recoiling back on him.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez reeled backwards from the heavy hit. Two of his teeth slipped from his gums and a thick stream of blood flowed down the side of his chin. He could practically feel his jawbone crack due to the force.

The Sternritter was slower than he was before, but he was still fast enough to at least match Grimmjow's speed.

Breaking into a wide grin, the blue-haired Arrancar launched another punch at his opponent. His fist caught Sylvanus across the chin, however just as the punch landed Grimmjow felt the Quincy's own fist come up underneath his chin, in a sharp uppercut.

He hadn't faced a challenge like this since Kurosaki.

At this rate, he would have to release his Resurrección.

* * *

As the light screamed upwards through the sky, the airborne water vaporised around it.

Above the light, the Royal Palace was approaching fast. It grew in size rapidly, until it completely filled the vision of the occupants of the blazing column.

Crashing into the edge of the vestibule road, the white glare dissipated only to be replaced with rubble and tiles of varying shapes and sizes.

Yhwach stepped out into the entrance to the Royal Palace, his thick hair and black cloak rippling around his body. Swathed in rubble and dust, Yhwach's footsteps were lost in the rumble of the explosion.

At his back Uryu and the mysterious cloaked figure advanced forwards until they were flanking the Quincy Kaiser.

"So..." Yhwach said slowly, his voice bearing a never before heard weight to it; like the slamming of the lid of a coffin. "This is the palace of the Soul King..."

"My deepest condolences, Your Magesty," the robed figure said, walking forwards and pulling down his hood.

Bheratt Kyash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) revealed its head, previously dwarfed in the shadow thrown by its hood. Upon even closest of inspections, its gender was indeterminable; bearing facial features of both male and female origin. Skin as white as milk almost seemed to luminesce from the hairless head. Either side of the skull, where the ears were supposed to be, two smooth ridges bordered empty holes. Eyes like blank pale ivory gazed calmly from the individual's face.

Withdrawing one hand from its long white robes, Bheratt placed a pure white sakkat hat atop its head.

"Why do you feel the need to apologise to me?" Yhwach asked, not once looking at the Sternritter. His expression, behind his crimson eyes, was flat and unreadable. "Having gazed upon a decrepit gravestone such as this, do you expect me to feel even the vaguest flicker of emotion?"

Bheratt said nothing; maintaining its calm and emotionless face.

The Quincy Kaiser glided slowly forwards, his vision locked onto the chrysalis-like building floating in the dead centre of the Royal Palace. "Bheratt..." he said, slowly. "Release the Soldat."

The milky figure tipped its hat and nodded. "At once My Lord."

Extending one arm, Bheratt splayed its fingers and tensed the thin muscles that corded its arm. Rising up from the floor and collecting in the Sternritter's palm, globs of black shadow warped and churned before splashing into the floor and covering the vestibule road. Rising from the murky black, no less than fourty Soldat stepped out into the open air.

Goggles and combat masks gleamed in the light, beneath their military caps, pulled low over their foreheads. Clasped in their trembling hands were weapons constructed from reishi.

"Soldiers..." Bheratt began. "Advance."

Without even a moment's hesitation, the Squadron of Soldat advanced along the vestibule road. Combat boots crashed in a crescendo against the white wood as they began to march.

"Oh no no no!" cried out a deep, aggressive voice.

Several of the Soldat were flung into the air before tumbling, screaming, off of the edge of the vestibule road and plummeting into the open sky.

A man wielding a large wooden paddle, and bearing a humongous pompadour atop his head, stood between the Quincys and the Royal Palace. Between his teeth, he gripped a thin wooden stick.

"Do you really think that I'm going to let you past that easily?" he said, with a grin.

Yhwach stepped towards the man, his face set like stone.

"Tenjirou Kirinji," he said, slowly. "First Officer of the Shinigami's Zero Division; Divine General of the East; the Demon of the Hot Springs..." As he listed off the Royal Guard's numerous achievements, his voice grew progressively louder. Breaking into a wide grin, he revealed his teeth. "Do you truly believe that someone of your caliber is enough to impede me?!"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't!" Tenjirou shouted, lifting his paddle and charging the Quincy Kaiser.

White water roared into the air behind the trio and the Squadron of Soldat. Cascading down in a torrential wave, the water washed around the Quincys.

Immediately beginning to writhe beneath the burning deluge, the Soldat held their faces and screamed. Veins bulged from their exposed skin and beneath the goggles they wore their eyes began to bulge, until the glass shattered.

One of them cried out: "GAH! All I see is glass and blood!"

Unfazed by the water's effects Yhwach, Uryu and Bheratt stared at the Royal Guard; the tide lapping around their bodies.

Yhwach raised one thick dark eyebrow and pulled a disinterested expression. "Is this all?"

Tenjirou stood his ground and narrowed his eyes. He tightened his grip on the large wooden paddle as the water washed away and fell over the edges of the Vestibule Road.

"Nina..." Yhwach muttered, turning his eyes away impassively. "Clean up this mess for me."

Extending from beneath him, a shadow rippled forwards slowly, like liquid tar. It bulged upwards, slipping down the form of a girl that rose from its murky depths.

Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) stepped out into the open air, her red hair fluttering around her head. The Sternritter uniform that she wore was still stained completely crimson by Eric's blood; the material dry and almost cracking as she moved. Dark brown eyes stared cooly from beneath her thin eyebrows.

Flexing her fingers, she took a step forwards, silently.

Nina's body seemed a million miles away from her mind. She felt nothing, save the dread of losing her numbness.

The young woman had known since the meeting the previous night that she would be part of Yhwach's entourage to the Royal Palace. Initially she had made peace with herself about the plan. Now, however, it had taken every fibre of her being to resist disobeying.

She knew all too well how little Yhwach cared for her and her fellows, and yet still she wished to remain on the ground. Even despite the threat of death.

Nina wanted to stay with the two people who she had any connection with amongst her comrades. She wanted to bury Eric and Adelaid. She wanted time to mourn them and give them the respect they deserved.

Tenjirou narrowed his eyes and hesitantly took a step towards the Sternritter and Quincy Emperor. He was getting a bad feeling from the new arrival. The other three were dangerous, he could tell that much, however the sensation he was getting from Nina was completely different.

Before he had a chance to put his finger on just what the feeling meant, Nina had leapt towards him.

Reaching inside of her hooded cloak, behind her back, the scarlet-haired girl pulled out a pair of hexagonal chakrams. As opposed to engaging the royal guard in direct combat, however, she instead threw the weapons.

Whizzing through the air, their metal caught the light and flashed brightly. Ripping through the air, the chakrams almost seemed to buzz, due to the sheer speed at which they were moving and rotating.

Even in spite of his reputation as Raijin no Tenjirou, the Royal Guard struggled to avoid them.

Flitting her hands through the space in front of her, like a musical conductor, Nina began to control the path of her weapons. A single flick of the wrist was enough to direct them nimbly towards her opponent.

While she wasn't one of the seven strongest Sternritter, or even one of His Majesty's Schutzstaffel, one thing that she was confident of was her speed.

_Just do what you have to do... _Nina thought to herself, her face betraying nothing._ As long as you stay useful, you get to live. And that means once this is over, you can return to ground and honour them._

Ducking and dodging the rapidly rotating weapons, Tenjirou found himself almost impressed by the enemy in front of him. The speed at which her assault was coming at him was faster than he ever expected the enemy to be.

_You're very skilled,_ he said, inside his mind. _But so am I._

Beneath Nina's feet the water churned upwards, forming together into a large wave.

Barely fazed by the attack, Nina leapt into the air and somersaulted forwards over the wave. As she flipped, she clenched her fists quickly.

Blasting from the six points of her spinning blades, twelve arrows fanned out into the air.

Tenjirou did not expect that.

Dashing to the side, his pompadour flailed from his forehead wildly as he attempted to dodge the shots. One managed to catch him across the cheek.

Blood dripped down his pale skin before splashing onto the wide collar of his robe.

As she landed, Nina's face gave no indication of what she was thinking.

But she knew that she had won.

* * *

_What the hell is going on?! I should have won by now! So why... Why won't he die?!_

Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) cursed her opponent and continued to hack at him. But no matter how many times she cut the Captain, he wouldn't fall. Much like herself, his wounds simply closed up.

If things continued the way that they were going, she would have to use her new toys; an option she was vehemently set against, unless confronted by one of the five War Potentials.

The giant sword of Komamura's Shikai tore off her left arm, just as she stabbed him in the throat.

_Enough of this! _her brain spat out, as her arm reattached and blood flowed back into her body. _If I don't kill him fast, I'll lose the Kurosaki boy!_

She caught herself. She was about to fly into a rage; her frustrations threatening to explode from her.

Gabriele needed to keep calm.

Pulling her sword from the Captain's neck, the woman jumped out of range of another attack and took up residence atop a dilapidated arch that extended over a nearby alleyway. Snow fell from the construct, disturbed by her feet, and dropped onto the white street.

Narrowing her glowing red eyes, Gabriele threw aside her reishi sword.

"Why did you discard your sword?" Komamura asked, tightening his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. "Have you given up?"

Scoffing, Gabriele threw her head back and tilted it to the side. "Hardly." Her sharp teeth bared themselves as she flashed a grin, through glossy black lips. "I just decided not to bother myself with you anymore."

Komamura formed a confused expression over his newly humanoid face.

Gabriele snapped her fingers.

Stepping up onto the roofs of the buildings flanking her, a group of dark figures took up loose combat stances. They all wore variations of the typical Sternritter uniform; customised so that they were as overtly revealing as possible. Short skirts, cropped tops and short shorts adorned all of their bodies in varying degrees.

Jumping up beside the new arrivals, Gabriele began to saunter around them and run her fingers playfully across their chins. Her dark lashes batted around her eyes in a strangely malicious fashion.

"Don't you just love their new outfits?" she cooed playfully. "So much better than all that dingy black, wouldn't you agree?"

A look of horror found its way onto Komamura's face as he realised just who the new arrivals were.

Shinji Hirako stared down at his fellow Captain through glassy red eyes. His skin was mottled and blotchy, almost as if half of his blood had been drained from his system. Poking from between his lips, Shinji's usually flat teeth had formed into sharp points. Across his jugular was a large glob of thick coagulated blood.

Beside the Vizard Captain stood Ikakku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa. Both of them had a jaded look on their faces, and the same combination of red eyes and sharp teeth. Their skin, however, didn't appear half as blotchy as Shinji's.

The same was true of Izuru Kira and Nanao Ise, who occupied the building to Yumichika's right.

"What have you done...?" Komamura gasped in disbelief, his mouth agape and his features set like stone.

Gabriele ignored him, instead choosing to traipse over to Nanao. Leaning in close to the girl, the Quincy breathed heavily on her neck. "I do love my new toys..." she sighed. "They're all so compliant. What more could you ask for?"

Gabriele slowly dragged her tongue up Nanao's neck and slipped it into her ear.

Komamura lunged towards the Sternritter and raised his sword. Rage flooded his body as the dam that held back his emotions burst.

"BANKAI!"

Vertigo suddenly drowned him, flipping his senses about themselves. Komamura's stomach lurched up into his throat.

The release of his Bankai stopped short.

Spinning around Shinji's impossibly pale wrist, Sakanade glinted in the afternoon light.

Hozukimaru shot through the air and speared the stunned Captain through the chest. The wooden shaft lurched to a sudden halt as the blade exited his back and slammed into the floor.

Beside Ikkaku, Yumichika jumped towards the Squad Seven Captain.

As the slashes began to come at him, Komamura struggled to make sense of just what was going on.

He was locked in place by the spear, he knew that much. However, there was where it stopped. Had it entered his front or his back? He assumed his back, as the foremost end was jutting out of his chest. But then why was the tip plunged into the ground above his head? And why was the sky beneath his feet? There was also the fact that he clearly remembered feeling the blade enter his chest, rather than exit.

Slashes of Yumichika's multi-bladed sword came at him from the right, however it was his left side that was cut. Or was it really his right? While there was no wound, he was sure that was where the pain was originating.

Luckily, he still bore the gift of immortality. Without it, he would have been killed by the first strike. Unfortunately, while his other cuts were healing, the wound around the spear had begun to fuse to the shaft, holding him even more firmly in place.

Fighting against his restraints, he attempted to counterattack. His sword flew wide, and his struggle did little more than splinter the shaft of the Zanpakuto inside him.

Gabriele smiled sweetly and turned to leave. "Have fun..." she said, her voice bearing a musical tone to it.

"Bankai! Tekken Tachikaze!"

The ground under Komamura's feet was crushed, levelling out the area and freeing the end of the spear. Yumichika stumbled and fell backwards, ceasing his assault.

"Play, Kinshara."

A thin golden whip flashed through the air and cracked Shinji across the face, knocking him off balance. Komamura felt the inversion of his world recede as his fellow Captain lost focus.

Gabriele felt a blade against her neck and a hand gripping her around the wrist. Her arm was wrenched up between her shoulder blades.

"Don't move..." hissed Captain Sui-Feng, into the Quincy's ear.

Kensei Muguruma helped Komamura to his feet and placed one hand on the shaft of the Zanpakuto, still impaling him. "Grit your teeth, this is gonna hurt."

Without so much as a pause, Kensei tore Hozukimaru from his newly-humanoid comrade. Blood spattered the floor as a scream of pain filled the air.

Rose Ōtoribashi sidestepped towards the pair, not taking his eyes off of his vampiric former comrades. "I've got to say I'm surprised..." he said, slowly. "I didn't expect you to look so human, Sajin."

"I'll explain later," Komamura replied. "Right now we need to focus on the situation at hand." His yellow eyes flicked to the side and observed Kensei's bandaged body. "Are you sure you're in a fit state to fight?"

"It's better than nothing," Kensei replied with a grimace. "They did the best they could in the time they had. If you should be worried about anyone here, it's Captain Two up there."

"Aww, well aren't you just the cutest little sex kitten," Gabriele grinned, tilting her head back towards Sui-Feng and exposing more of her neck to the blade. She licked her jet black lips. "I could just eat you up."

"Stop it," Sui-Feng retorted, sharply.

"Oh but I can't help it," Gabriele continued. "You're just so pretty."

Sui-Feng maintained her steely expression and tightened her grip on the hilt of her sealed Zanpakuto. She said nothing.

It was taking every ounce of strength she had to stop herself from trembling. Her wounds from the fight with Balder still hadn't completely healed. While the medical team had done all they could in the time frame, she had insisted on joining the battles, as soon as she was able to walk. The bandages covering her burnt body were slowly beginning to saturate with blood.

"Let me see..." the Sternritter mused, her voice like syrup. "One, two, three... Four. Four Captains. Today must be my lucky day." Her eyelids hooded down over her glowing red irises. "If this was yesterday, I would have been thrilled... But right now I'm after the War Potentials and, well, I just don't see any of them here." Sharp teeth peeked through her lips. "And I don't like having my time wasted."

Gabriele twisted on the spot, ripping her own arm out of its socket, in Sui-Feng's grip. The blade pressed to her throat severed her windpipe and splashed blood down onto the ground. In spite of the injuries, the Quincy was undeterred.

Dislocating her jaw, Gabriele moved to tear out Sui-Feng's throat. Just as the gaping maw was about to clamp down, Kinshara whizzed through the air and wrapped around the Sternritter's neck; digging into her open wound.

As her enemy lurched backwards, Sui-Feng jumped away from her.

Landing next to her comrades, the four Captains stared down their vampiric enemies.

"Are you alright?" Rose asked, pulling back his whip as Gabriele broke free of the restraint.

"As I'll ever be," Sui-Feng replied, narrowing her eyes. "Good save there, by the way."

"Don't mention it."

"So, what's the plan?" Kensei asked, training his eyes on Shinji as the turned Captain rose to his feet. "As much as I hate to admit it we're at a bit of a disadvantage here. Two of us are still beat to hell and, from what I can see, none of them can die."

"Well, as things stand now, neither can I," Komamura replied, narrowing his newly human eyes.

"That's sure convenient," Rose said, lifting an eyebrow.

Komamura tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and took a step forwards. "My plan up until now was just to hold her in a stalemate. She's after Kurosaki and Urahara, and something tells me that if she manages to reach them the tide of the war will tip in their favour." He gritted his teeth and began to talk through them. "It was all going well until she brought out the reinforcements."

"Shinji's powers will do that to you," Kensei replied.

"So how do we play this?" Rose persisted, his voice half-urgent. Ahead of them, Gabriele had turned her attention onto them and was preparing to attack.

"Not to sound arrogant but I think that, out of all of us, I have the best chance at killing her, or at least beating her to a standstill," Komamura said.

"I agree," Sui-Feng said in response. "So we'll take care of her minions, while you get close."

"Agreed."

* * *

**[A/N: Apologies for not posting for a long time; my internet has been down for several weeks. Though I am eager to get back on track and update with more chapters full of Bleach-y goodness for you all!**

**As things stand now, I'm drawing ever closer to catching up to the series! Woo woo!]**


	50. Blood as Currency

**Chapter 50: Blood as Currency**

Ichigo Kurosaki, Yastora Sado and Orihime Inoue dashed between the numerous white buildings of the Silbern, growing ever closer to the location Kommamura had pointed out to them.

Throughout the landscape, the Quincy soldiers had scattered numerous bundles of highly concentrated reishi, meaning that they had to rely mainly on their sense of direction, as opposed to their skills at Reiatsu detection. Urahara was probably keeping his Reiatsu suppressed, so as to prevent any of the Sternritter from clocking his position as targeting him.

Behind them the numerous clashes of Spiritual Pressure, from the many battles, eclipsed the bundles of reishi and further served to confound their senses.

"Well helloooo~ Kurosaki-Kun," arose a cheerful and pleasant voice, from beside the group.

Suddenly stopping, they all turned to the side. Stood leaning against a nearby wall, his face swathed in shadow from his hat, Kisuke Urahara broke into a wide smile.

"Urahara!" Ichigo half-shouted, beaming. "Thank god! We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Yes, it seems that I've arrived a bit late to the party..." he sighed, standing up straight and gripping the rim of his hat. "You'll forgive me; I've been putting the finishing touches to a special project of mine."

Orihime smiled slightly and took a step towards the store owner.

"So what do you say, should I organise some special travel permits to the Soul King's Palace?" Beneath his hat, one of his eyes winked from the shadow.

Ichigo's smile widened, resolve glowing from his eyes. "Yes."

* * *

Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) hissed between her teeth and spat blood onto the snow beneath her feet. Reaching up with her left hand, she wiped her corner of her mouth and took several steps back.

The stab wound to her abdomen bled profusely, staining the front of her white uniform, before she closed it using her Blut.

Threads, formed from white reishi, gripped her body. She was moving using the Ranso Tengai.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi had managed to stab her with his Shikai, effectively paralysing her limbs.

However, that didn't mean that Clarimond had failed to land any attacks on the Captain. Poc-marks covered his body, from where her photon cannon had burned through his flesh, and gashes from barely dodged Heilig Pfeil were seared across his skin.

Yet the way Mayuri acted would lead anyone to believe that he was unharmed. He expressed no discomfort or any indication whatsoever that he was in pain.

"Yes, yes, excellent..." he cackled, under his breath. Cocking his head in an uncomfortable fashion, Mayuri opened his yellow eyes wider and broadened his grin. "You're as impressive as I expected!"

The shadow puppets that stood spotted around the area lurched across the battlefield and circled Mayuri. Despite their faces bearing no features, and being coloured matt black, they appeared to be watching him intently.

"But..." Mayuri continued, allowing the word to hang in the air for several seconds as he pondered the situation. "I can't help but feel that there is more to your ability than just these puppets and your lasers. But there is no rush... I am quite fascinated by your ability and plan to savour this sense of enjoyment, slowly."

If it hadn't been for Mayuri's Shikai paralysing her limbs, Clarimond would have subconsciously started to twitch her fingers. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to use the Ranso Tengai to pull her hand up to her face, so she could chew her thumb.

_No!_ her mind screamed. _I need to stay focused! I can't let myself fall into the trap of my own compulsions! This is my chance for revenge, and I am not going to lose it!_

The wires of reishi lifted Clarimond off of her feet, launching her towards the Captain in a jumping motion similar to that of her shadow marionettes, which followed her lead by simultaneously attacking the Shinigami.

Mayuri pulled a vial from within the sleeve of his robe. Rapidly uncapping it, he flung the contained green liquid towards his attackers.

Pulled back by the threads of the Ranso Tengai, Clarimond barely managed to avoid the attack. The edge of her white cape and two of her puppets were doused in the liquid.

The smell of burnt fabric filled the air and almost instantly, Clarimond's cape began to dissolve. Hissing between her teeth, the monochrome-haired Sternritter tore the garment from around her neck and tossed it back towards the Captain.

Sidestepping, Mayuri avoided the acid-soaked cloak and parried sword strikes from two of the shadowy figures.

Pointing her cavalry sword at the Squad 12 Captain, Clarimond loosed a barrage of arrows from the tip, most of which were either dodged or ignored by her opponent.

_This is getting me nowhere fast!_ she thought, retreating further, allowing her puppets to engage Mayuri and keep him distracted. _He's already figured out how my Schattenfiguren move. Not to mention he's analysed all of the fighting techniques I've used so far... A long and drawn out battle is definitely not to my benefit. I need to play this smart and use tactics._

Mayuri had already realised that the puppets could only stand two hard hits before they shattered. He was timing and directing his strikes so as to allow them to move into the path of his attacks. Once he was finished dealing with them, he could turn his attention to the Quincy.

Clarimond moved to a blind spot, behind one of her puppets, and lifted her left hand. After Mayuri's well-placed attack shattered the figure, Clarimond used her reishi threads to splay her fingers.

"Blendendes Licht!"

The same searing light that had blinded Charlotte earlier in the day blazed from Clarimond's palm.

As his eyes sizzled, Mayuri reeled backwards.

Using the chance to hide herself, Clarimond ducked inside an alleyway that extended beside a nearby building and moved fast.

Reaching inside his Shihakusho, Mayuri pulled out a small syringe and jabbed it into the side of his neck. The angry burns around his eyeballs receded, and his blurred vision returned to normal.

Chuckling under his breath, he quickly scanned the area for any signs of the Sternritter. "A good effort, blinding me... But nowhere near enough to finish me off..." Taking a step forwards, he called into the surrounding buildings. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Clarimond leant back against a wall and caught her breath. Using that many of her shadow puppets, not to mention her blinding light, had taken it out of her. She needed this precious time to recharge, if she were to use her most powerful techniques. The Sternritter wasn't accustomed to drawn out battles; her stamina usually limiting her to quick fights.

Flexing her fingers, she examined her silver wristband, poking out from the sleeve of her jacket. Emblazoned with the five-pointed Zeichen of the Vandenreich, it caught the light in a bright glare.

Usually, Clarimond hated to use her Vollständig unless absolutely necessary. It tired her out far too much.

_No... Now is the perfect time to use it. This bastard is going to die. Slowly and painfully._

Two streets away from the female Sternritter, Mayuri's head shot up and gazed skyward. A pillar of white light screamed into the air, from Clarimond's location.

"Kamigami no Tasogare; Twilight of the Gods."

* * *

As the shot of light erupted into the air, in the distance, Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire), was cleaved across her right hand side by the enormous blade of Komamura's Shikai. Her liver slipped out of her milky skin and dangled, like a perverse brown tongue slapping against her hip.

Ignoring the injury, she fired an arrow into the Captain's chest. Komamura was shocked backwards, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

As the immortal duo continued to duel, the Captains' and the newly-turned vampires' battles neared an end.

Kensei Muguruma held Shinji's head in a lock and secured his sword arm with his free hand. It wasn't long before the Vampirised Captain was choked into unconsciousness.

Rose Otoribashi had managed to bind Yumichika Ayasegawa and Ikkaku Madarame together, using the Shikai of his Kinshara.

Sui-Feng dived to the side and swiftly kicked out Izuru Kira's legs, breaking both of them and leaving him crumpled in a heap beside Nanao Ise.

Gabriele's crimson eyes flicked to the side and scanned over her disabled puppets. She just couldn't understand what was happening. No matter what she did, the Captains continued to hold her off. Rage and frustration bubbled up inside her, like acid boiling in her veins. Hissing maliciously between her teeth, she lunged at the newly human Captain.

"I am one hundred and ten percent DONE!" she screamed.

The irises of Gabriele's eyes began to swirl and morph, before glowing bright turquoise. A high-pitched wailing filled the air, screaming out as her sword clashed against Komamura's own.

Peaking over the top of her miniskirt, the metal shine of her chastity belt caught the light. The Quincy Zeichen emblazoned across it burst in a bright blue flash of reishi, vaporizing her clothes and dwarfing her in light.

Komamura was blasted back and crashed through a large building, obliterating the structure.

"Ploaia de Luna Sângerie; Rain of the Blood Moon!"

Blood from all over the Silbern shot into the air, from the numerous dead soldiers that lay discarded. Sucked into the pillar of light, like millions of drops of crimson rain, the blood was absorbed.

As the column of reishi shattered into glass-like shards, Gabriele was revealed standing in the middle of a pool of blood. Her hair billowed around her head in bright red locks, rippling as if it had a mind of its own. Rotating above her head was a glowing blue halo in the shape of a five-pointed star. A similar shade of turquoise to her eyes, a pair of wings flapped down from her shoulders and began to circle her body, like sentient fluid. Naked, save from her boots, her chest was covered in a film of blood, bubbling from her pores like vermilion sweat.

Breaking into a toothy grin, Gabriele revealed two rows of jagged sharp teeth.

Kicking off from the ground so hard that the concrete caved beneath her feet, she rocketed at the Captain just as he pulled himself from the rubble.

Tearing into his flesh with her sharp fingernails, Gabriele ripped his arm off and lunged at his neck, in an attempt to bite through his windpipe.

Kensei appeared to Gabriele's right and punched her in the face, before she had a chance to sink her teeth into Komamura's throat. The explosion-enhanced power of his fist launched her through the air.

Leaping up skyward, seizing a chance to intercept the Sternritter's flight path and continue the attack, Rose lifted Kinshara.

Gabriele, however, was unfazed by the seemingly devastating punch. Whirling around in the air, she grabbed hold of the golden whip as it descended on her and yanked the Captain towards her.

Thrusting her arm out, there was a sickening crunch as she impaled the Vizard on her hand. Rose's cheeks sunk inwards and his eyes bulged. Colour seemed to drain from his face.

Beneath the skin of her arm, Gabriele's veins grew more pronounced.

"She's draining his blood!" Kensei shouted. Lifting his left hand, he swiped his palm downwards and donned his hollow mask. Spiritual energy burst from his body as he jumped towards the airborne Quincy. His speed had leapt astoundingly. So much so that his body seemed to blur and vanish.

Gabriele wrenched her hand from inside Rose, allowing him to plummet to the ground, and turned towards the oncoming Captain. Since activating her Vollständig, her speed had also skyrocketed.

Dipping under the silver-haired Captain's fist, she made a sharp dive for the floor and grabbed hold of Kensei's ankles. Flinging her arms outwards, she threw the Vizard towards the ground. Slamming into the street, Kensei's body crushed the concrete into a massive crater.

Droplets of blood, from his wounds, vibrated before being drawn up into the air towards Gabriele's body. Like metal towards a magnet.

"Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen!"

Three triangular triangles, formed from yellow energy, slammed into Gabriele's side and carried her through the air, before pinning the woman to the side of an overlooking spire.

Sui-Feng narrowed her eyes, through her splayed fingers, as she saw her Kido connect with the Sternritter.

"Oh honey, you should know that this isn't enough to stop me," Gabriele cooed, peering out of the corner of her eye at Sui-Feng.

The luminous yellow Kido was drawn into her naked body, through her skin, as she absorbed the reishi it was formed from.

Turning sideways, she tucked her legs up and placed her feet against the side of the building. Kicking off, the structure was annihilated behind her.

Reaching Sui-Feng, Gabriele lifted her right hand, in an attempt to strike her across the face.

Komamura appeared to the Sternritter's right, having reattached his arm, and hacked off Gabriele's own. Almost instantly, the limb reattached and the Quincy's blood flowed back into her body.

Finally landing on the ground, Gabriele span on the ball of her foot and clawed Komamura across the face with her long fingernails.

Kensei appeared behind the female Sternritter, still clad in his hollow mask, and grabbed her firmly by the shoulder. Holding her in place, he slammed his free fist into her back and let the explosive force of his Bankai rip through her body.

A heavy blast of wind shot from Sui-Feng's back as she activated her Shunko. Digging her knuckles into the Vampire's face, the Stealth Force leader added to the damage being stocked onto Gabriele by Kensei's Bankai.

However, even while taking the attacks, blood was still being drawn towards Gabriele, from her opponents wounds.

Laughing through the onslaught of attacks, Gabriele's eyes widened with amusement.

"Do-o-o yo-o-o-u r-e-e-eally think tha-a-a-at this is eno-o-o-ough to st-o-o-o-op me-e-e-e?" she cackled, her body vibrating from the force of the hundreds of explosions rippling through her.

Dipping downwards, she dislocated her own shoulder and freed herself from Kensei's attack. Blown forwards from the force of the explosions, she ploughed into a nearby building and rose out of the wreckage, still laughing.

"Don't you get it?!" Her two rows of sharp teeth flashed in the light, between her glistening black lips. "You can't kill me! As long as there's even the tiniest amount of blood in the Silbern, I can regenerate!"

* * *

Much like how the eyes are the window to the Soul, blood is the currency of the Soul. Essential for life to continue, in a vague sense, it can be assumed that the very life force of an individual is contained in their blood.

Some primitive tribes believe that to drink the blood of an enemy would grant an individual the chance to see the world through their eyes.

Being able to consume blood allowed Gabriele to absorb the life force of her opponents and continuously regenerate. More than that, it meant that she had access to all of their memories; all of their strategies and experiences.

If blood were currency Gabriele could be considered a master of the stock market, gaining and utilising as much as she saw fit.

Her ability was truly terrifying.

However, among the Sternritter, there was one other who was able to draw on the untapped power of the currency of the Soul.

Despite not being listed as one of the seven strongest Sternritter, she possessed an ability that easily ranked her as one of the most deadly.

Gabriele may have been able to utilize the currency as she saw fit... But this individual could change its value as easily as batting an eyelid.

* * *

Nina Redwing (The Blood) maintained a steely expression.

Tenjirou Kirinji collapsed to his knees and clutched at his chest with his left hand. A boiling sweat clung to his skin, dripping in rivulets down his face and trembling arms.

_What is going on?_ he thought, gritting his teeth as he struggled to rise to his feet. _She barely knicked me, so why... Why does it feel like my body is on fire?_

Nina took a step forwards, her black leather military boots splashing against the white water that glittered from the floor. The dry dark red blood that had soaked her uniform cracked slightly from the movement.

Kirinji's body rocked forwards, attempting to move towards the Sternritter and counterattack. Blood dripped from his nose and his head felt as if it were splitting in half. Short shallow breaths escaped his lips. The visage of Nina, stood ahead of him, blurred.

"I'd advise you not to move if I were you..." Nina said, peering through her dark brown eyes at the Royal Guard. "You're currently experiencing Stage Four high blood pressure. Essential Hypertension." Flexing her fingers at her side, Nina's brows lowered. As if prompted by the motion, pain shot through Kirinji's chest. "Specifically in your lung vasculature. Exertion will just make the symptoms worse."

The Shinigami's head continued to spin. He was only just able to make out the words that Nina was speaking. "What... are you...?"

"Judging by your appearance, when compared to a normal human, I'd say your physical structure is most similar to a man in his late forties," Nina continued, taking another step forwards. "Your blood pressure should be at 127 over 84. I've increased it to 230 over 150."

Pain lanced through Kirinji's body again. His breathing grew more and more shallow and laboured by the second.

"As time passes, the pressure will continue to increase." Wind caught Nina's hair so that it fluttered behind her in feathery crimson locks. "I would give you four minutes left to live. Once that time comes, your blood will do one of two things. First it could clot. Said clot would then make its way to your brain, at which point you would die from a stroke. Second, the sheer pressure would cause your heart to fail and you would die from a heart attack." Nina's eyes narrowed. "Actually, in your case, I'd say both are likely to happen."

"So... Would I be... right in assuming that you... you can control my blood?" Kirinji's ground out, through his gritted teeth.

"In as many words," came the reply.

Kirinji broke into a wide, if slightly pained, grin. His white teeth gleamed from his mouth, contrasting the blood dripping from his nose. As he spoke, his sentence was broken up by pained gasps for breath. "What a... shame. It seems that you... picked the... wrong opponent..."

Roaring up behind him, a bright red wave of water crashed down upon the Royal Guard, drowning him in the liquid.

Nina didn't even flinch.

"You'd been enjoying the show from inside Yhwach's shadow," Tenjiro said, from within the red water that covered him in a frothing dome. "Surely you saw what my water did to your foot soldiers. It squeezes out blood and Reiatsu... However that's only the white water. The red water..." He emerged from the liquid, stood up completely straight. "Can completely replenish and replace blood."

He took a step forwards and readied himself to attack.

Kirinji's legs suddenly buckled underneath him. He fell to his knees and slammed his hands into the floor.

"I can see why you thought replacing your blood would work," Nina said, looking down at the Demon of the Hot Springs. "But that's not how my power works. The blood in your body might be new, but it's still yours."

Tenjirou Kirinji's eyes rolled back in his head. Fever gripped him and he began to shiver; his body rocked by tremors. Pain coursed through his chest and back, and his muscles felt like they were on fire.

"Your red water was Type O..." Nina mused, almost to herself. "That's how you were able to replace and restore everyone's blood; it's the universal donor type after all... It seems I was right in assuming that O was your blood type as well."

Kirinji began to black out.

"I changed all of the blood in your body to Type AB," the red-haired Sternritter continued. "Right now, your immune system is attacking every blood cell in your body." She closed her eyes and sighed. An expression akin to regret passed across her features. "Goodbye, Tenjirou Kirinji. You fought well."


	51. Bare-Knuckle Beatdown

**Chapter 51: Bare-Knuckle Beatdown**

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) and Snow (The Yuki-Oni) charged their opponents, in a single co-ordinated attack.

Shards of ice blitzed through the air, glittering and throwing down rainbow light like glass crystals. Simultaneously, dozens of white arrows mingled with them, in a sheet of hundreds of projectiles.

Kenpachi Zaraki gripped his sealed zanpakuto in his remaining left hand and swatted aside as many of the shots as he could. In spite of this, however, numerous arrows and diamonds of ice perforated his body.

Beside him, Yachiru had adopted a similar strategy, her smaller size and more agile nature allowing her to dodge and deflect a lot more of the attacks.

As instructed by her two comrades, Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) dipped and dashed between the white buildings in front of her, in an attempt to escape the battle.

She needed to find Zeit.

Zeit was the only Sternritter remaining on the ground, other than Gabriele, that was strong enough to fight Kenpachi Zaraki. At best, all her comrades would be able to do was hold him off until help arrived. Even after Aya had shattered his right arm, he was still a monster.

Behind her, the roar of arrows and explosions slowly receded into the distance. If there was one thing Aya was confident of, it was her Hirenkyaku.

Once she was sure she was far enough away, Aya began to slow down. A thin film of sweat clung to her forehead and ragged breaths slipped from between her lips. Her black boots dragged against the ground, carving trenches in the snow.

Taking a second to grasp her bearings, Aya's head whipped from side to side, her glossy black hair flying around her face, and her deep purple eyes flitting across the area.

Drawing breath slowly into her lungs, she attempted to calm herself. Inside the black of her mind, hundreds of red and white Reiraku ribbons leapt up from the ground and swam around her like snakes formed of rippling fabric.

Her left hand suddenly shot to her side, clasping hold of a pure white ribbon and turning it into crystalline glass. "There he is..." Aya turned to her left and peered into the distance. "That way."

Setting off towards the monstrous Reiatsu that clung to the white-haired boy, Aya broke into a run. Her white skirt rose up her pale thighs and her matching jacket caught the wind around her body.

Slipping down into a crack in the icy road, the steel heel of Aya's shoe was jammed in place. Lurching forwards, the young girl tumbled head first into a nearby drift of snow.

Dragging her digits through the snow, she clasped a handful of the white powder, compressing it into a lump of ice. Inside her cheeks, Aya's molars ground together as she gritted her teeth.

A ragged breath shook her body as the Quincy girl sucked air through her teeth. Tears stung her eyes and began to drip down her cold cheeks, before freezing against them into minute crystalline shards.

It was the first time Aya had time alone to her thoughts, since Arthur had died. Since she had lost her head and attacked Kenpachi, she had been engaged in combat almost constantly, leaving her little time to fully absorb the situation.

Now, laying in the snow and shocked to her senses by the cold, she had the chance to reflect upon the death of her closest friend.

Her bottom lip began to quiver.

Silently, she began to cry.

"Knight..."

* * *

Black leather combat boots dug into the ground, caving the concrete underfoot. Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) had blocked the Arrancar's drop kick by crossing his arms over his head.

Opening his fists, he pulled his arms sideways and grabbed Grimmjow, either side of his calf. Digging his rock-encased fingers into the black material, and the flesh underneath, it was clear that his intention was to break the Hollow's leg.

Gritting his teeth, Grimmjow rapidly drew the sword strapped to his hip and swung it towards Sylvanus' face.

Releasing his opponent's leg, Sylvanus leapt back. As he did so, his feet dragged through the snow, whipping up the white powder around his legs.

He may have been fast enough the match the Arrancar in terms of speed, but he was quickly growing frustrated with the situation. He wasn't landing anywhere near as many hits on his opponent as he would have liked.

The rage that Sylvanus felt towards his enemy was beginning to subside, and he was coming to realise that if he was going to win, he would have to think tactically.

If he was going to avenge Jamina, he needed to keep himself calm.

Snapping off a different point of his necklace, the rock fell from his hands and shattered against the ground.

Grimmjow landed several feet away from the Sternritter and narrowed his eyes. Flipping his sword around, he clasped it in an inverse position in his right hand.

Something was different about the grey-haired Quincy.

Whenever the Sternritter had removed a piece of his necklace before, something physical about him had changed noticeably. Whirlwinds had circled his body, electricity had sparked from his eyes, earth had encased his forearms.

This time, however, he simply looked like a normal man.

Caution wasn't something that Grimmjow was used to expressing, however this occurrence had made him reconsider his stance towards the feeling.

He began to sweat.

Sylvanus dashed forwards and grabbed hold of the Arrancar's blade, just as he struck out towards him reflexively. Blue lines appeared on his hands, as he activated Blut Vene.

The Quincy's free right hand reared up and stuck the blue-haired man across the face.

Reeling backwards, Grimmjow pulled his blade from his opponent's grip.

Something strange was happening. The spot where Sylvanus' blow had connected with his face was burning, almost as if it were on fire, while the blade of his sword was glowing red hot.

_What the hell...?_ he thought.

He didn't have much time to analyse the situation. The Sternritter had already followed up on his attack and had rapidly closed the distance.

Three more punches rapped into the Arrancar; two to his torso, and one to his face. While the hits were light, carrying less force than that of Sylvanus' Thunderstorm from, their effects were indisputably more notable. Scorch marks seared across Grimmjow's skin and the smell of singed hair sizzled into the air.

Slashing back, the blade of his sword grated over the Quincy's skin without so much as leaving a scratch. Another blow struck the blue-haired Arrancar across the face.

As he fought, steam was steadily rising from Sylvanus' body, before dispersing and fading into the surrounding air. Snow was cleared around his feet, melting into wide puddles as his feet danced across the ground.

The fight raged on, up and down the street, caving and cracking the road and surrounding buildings.

Grimmjow's breath burned in his throat; sweat continuing to flood across his skin. The air around them just kept getting hotter and hotter.

He knew that he wouldn't last long, at this rate.

Squaring his jaw, the Arrancar flipped the hilt of his sword around in his hand and jumped away from his opponent. Bending the fingers of his left hand, he raked them up across the blade, in an explosion of spiritual energy.

"Grind! Pantera!"

* * *

Blood spattered against the ground in a thin line.

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction) flicked the blood off of the curved blade in his left hand and blocked a slash behind his back with the sword in his right.

Renji Abarai staggered back as blood leaked from a wound on his left shoulder. Rukia Kuchiki attempted a sideways cut across the Quincy's back, however the attack was turned off course as Zeit tilted his own blade.

Spinning on the spot, the young white-haired boy slashed out with his dual blades at the two combatants that engaged him.

Rukia was knicked across the bridge of her nose; a half second too slow to fully avoid the attack. Blood dripped down over her top lip and stained her Shihakusho.

The blade of Renji's Bankai, jutting from the front of the enormous snake skull mounted on his arm, descended upon Zeit from above.

Turning to the side, the young Quincy boy allowed the strike to pass by inches from his face, before retaliating with a sharp stab with his left hand. The tip of the slightly curved sword plunged into Renji's right shoulder.

Releasing the handle of his sword, Zeit jumped backwards and left the implement embedded in the Lieutenant's collar.

Zeit was thankful for his opponents.

When the explosion of His Majesty's departure had flung the combatants into separate areas, he was concerned that he would be matched against Kenpachi Zaraki, or another similar monster. He had been lucky. Instead, Zeit found himself confronted with two half-dead Lieutenants.

Zeit had heard that Renji was the man who had killed Asuma; the Sternritter's resident master swordsman. Had the red-haired man been at his best, Zeit wouldn't have doubted that. However, mostly dead as he was, he was proving no match for how fast Zeit was moving.

The boy may not have been as skilled as the Werewolf but, unlike Asuma, he was one of the top seven. Indisputably still skilled, Zeit's main advantages came from his inhumanly massive Reiatsu and his speed.

He was confident that he could defeat the two Lieutenants without having to use his Schrift, or even his Vollständig. He was glad. Both techniques would push his body far past the limit that he had reached, during his bout with The Knight and Kenpachi.

The ground underneath Zeit's feet suddenly began to shake. Ice spread across the surface of the road.

His coal black eyes momentarily shot downwards. _Ice quakes...?_

Leaping into the air, the Sternritter vacated the area and landed on the domed roof of a building overlooking the street. His keen pupils picked out Rukia, sword raised, ready to strike where he once stood.

_She uses ice powers..._ he thought. _No, not ice. If it was ice, there would be a manifestation around her, like with Snow. Freezing powers. She's controlling temperature._

The gigantic red-furred baboon arm of Renji's Bankai shot up towards Zeit, interrupting his train of thought. Leaping over the extended bone-like skeletal digits, the Quincy boy landed on the forearm of the Bankai and began to run towards Renji.

Jumping forwards, he leant backwards midair and swung the sword in his right hand in a vicious attack directed at Renji's face.

Jerking his head back, Renji narrowly managed to avoid the strike.

Hissing between his teeth, the Lieutenant turned back on himself as the Quincy passed him by and touched on the ground behind him. Lifting his right arm, he swung his enormous blade towards Zeit's back.

Without even turning around, the white-haired boy blocked the attack.

_Damn it! _Renji's mind shouted, in rage and frustration, as he engaged his enemy in a furious flurry of sword strikes. _He's too fast! Not to mention this Reiatsu. It's completely inhuman! It's like I'm swimming in gelatine!_

Rukia dashed forwards, leaping into the fray on the other side of the Sternritter.

Zeit didn't so much as flinch. Responding to the girl's attack, he began to parry the blows from her pure white sword with his own curved Reishi blade.

The white-haired boy's eyes narrowed. The reishi construct clasped in his hand felt strangely cold.

All of a sudden, while defending against the female Lieutenant's assault, his weapon shattered into several ice-like shards.

Sode no Shirayuki continued forwards at a rapid pace, before sinking into the Quincy's shoulder and lodging in place.

Sufficiently distracted by the sudden occurrence, Zeit dropped his guard for a brief instant. Such was enough time for Renji to plunge the enormous blade of his Bankai into the boy's side and run him through.

Zeit's typically calm and melancholic face broke into an expression of severe distaste and frustration.

"Damn you, you filthy little brats!" he spat out, warping the shape of the sword in his right hand into that of a bow, and summoning an identical construct into his left hand. Blasting two enormous arrows at his enemies, he tore his body from the weapon and jumped out of the fray.

Flinging himself forward in time, he closed up his wounds and stared down at his two opponents, with a steely expression.

"How dare you!" he shouted, his aged and ragged voice reverberating through the street. "Forcing me to use my Schrift! How dare you!"

"Renji, did you see that?" Rukia whispered, stepping up beside her comrade.

"Yeah, he can heal," he replied. "As if this situation couldn't get any worse..."

"But the way he's acting..."

"Means that it's costly for him to do," Renji said, completing her sentence.

What little remained of their conversation was put across in their expressions. Zeit launched a barrage of glowing spiritual arrows down at the Shinigami pair in a blazing blue rain. Explosions ripped through the surrounding buildings and levelled the landscape.

Dipping and diving behind cover, the duo began to continuously dodge the numerous arrows that Zeit was firing down upon them.

Carefully, they analysed his movements.

All they needed was an opening.

* * *

Grimmjow lunged forwards, from within the enormous burst of spiritual energy generated from his Ressurrecion. Behind him, his long curtain of sky blue hair whipped up furiously. Light licked across the blades mounted on his forearms.

Sylvanus slammed his forearm into Grimmjow's outstretched bladed appendage. Sparks shot from his Blut-enhanced skin and sizzled into the puddles lapping around his feet.

Gritting his teeth, the Quincy soldier absorbed the shock of the attack and directed the force through his body and into his free arm. Launching a counterattack from the recoiled force, he slammed his fist into the former Espada's face.

Grimmjow didn't so much as flinch. His Hierro, now enhanced by his transformation, stopped any and all force from reaching him. The burning effect of the punch was still present, however all concussive force behind it was completely negated.

Tensing the black clawed digits of his left hand, the Arrancar struck out at his opponent and slashed him across the torso.

Blown backwards by the attack, Sylvanus crashed through several buildings. Rising to his feet, he hurriedly kicked off of the ground and shot back towards his enemy.

Having already anticipated this, Grimmjow pointed his elbow towards the opponent charging him. Five shards, resembling green crystalline claws, blasted from the joint and screamed through the air.

Plunging into Sylvanus' body, the tiny projectiles flung him through the air like a rag doll and catapulted him a considerable distance away. Blitzing through one of the only remaining towers left in the Silbern, he tumbled down in the midst of a rain of rubble.

Spitting blood, he fished himself from the wreckage and ground his teeth together.

"God damn it..." he retched, digging his fingers into his open wounds and ripping out the tiny projectiles. "I didn't think he would get this much stronger after releasing his Zanpakuto..." The small green shards sizzled against the skin of his fingers. "Crap, that burns..." A flash of realisation passed across his face, before he threw down the claws. "Shit. Hollow poisoning... Forgot about that."

In the distance, he could hear the Arrancar tearing through the streets as he gave chase.

Rising to his feet and turning towards the source of the noise, Sylvanus broke into a harsh glare. "Don't worry Jamina..." he whispered, reaching up and clasping his necklace in his palm. "I'll make sure I get him for you. I'm not about to die here."

Light erupted from his body and rocketed skyward, before splitting into the shape of an enormous Quincy Zeichen. All of the ambient reishi from the area was sucked towards the pillar.

"Puer vero Terrae; Child of the Land."

Shards of white reishi rained down upon his revealed form as the pillar burst. White wings, like the branches of a tree adorned his back and above his head a halo in the shape of a laurel wreath began to rotate.

Snapping off a different point of his necklace, the temperature around Sylvanus suddenly dropped. His breath billowed from his lips in a dense white cloud and spikes of ice formed around his knees and forearms.

It was then that Grimmjow arrived. Ignoring his enemy's new appearance, the Arrancar threw himself forwards and slashed at the Quincy with his clawed hands.

Catching his opponent's hands, Sylvanus stared into Grimmjow's eyes as ice began to spread up his wrists.

"Mahapadma!"

An overwhelming wave of cold blasted out of the Sternritter and completed drowned the surrounding area. Everything was covered in a thin film of ice.

"HAHAHAHA!" Grimmjow laughed, through his new acquired row of sharp and pointed teeth. "You're trying to freeze me?! You have to do better than that!"

Without a word, Sylvanus wrenched Grimmjow's arms wide and lifted his right foot, before kicking him in the chest.

Knocked back, Grimmjow's panther-like feet dragged through the ground until he came to a stop. Looking up, he broke into a maniacle grin before launching himself forwards again.

Slapping down the Arrancar's outstretched hand, Sylvanus struck his enemy across the face. Reeling from the attack, Grimmjow responded in kind, punching the Quincy square in the jaw.

Falling back from the force, the grey-haired Quincy lifted his left leg and kneed Grimmjow in the side, puncturing his abdomen with the adorning spike of ice.

Grabbing hold of the Sternritter's leg, the former Espada arched his head forwards and slammed his forehead into Sylvanus' own.

The two suddenly began to exchange blows. Their fight lost any semblance of skill and quickly devolved into a slugging match. Blood spattered the floor, before eventually freezing into tiny red beads.

The duelling pair could feel each other's bones crack under their fists.

Spreading from where the Quincy had struck him, several point's on Grimmjow's body began to feel cold and numb. It was as if he was slowly beginning to feel the effects of frostbite.

_So that's his trick!_

Cupping his hand, Grimmjow began to amass red spiritual energy in his palm. Launching his hand forwards, the crimson Cero exploded against the Sternritter at close range.

Staggering back, Sylvanus leapt into the air and took to the sky before utilising his wings to hover in place. Breaking off another point of his necklace, the ice that covered his joints melted. Light and crackles of electricity burst from his eyes.

"This again!?" Grimmjow laughed. "You should know by now, that doesn't work on me!"

Ignoring the chide, Sylvanus raised his hand skyward. Black clouds began to converge overhead. "Jupiter's Might!"

Weaving his hands through the air, like a musical conductor, he began to launch bolts of lighting down towards his blue-haired adversary.

Bright blue eyes snapping open wide, Grimmjow dipped out of the way of the attacks. Where he had once stood, the ground had been scorched black. Sparks of electricity coursed through the air.

As the cracks of thunder echoed through the air, Grimmjow began to grow more and more frustrated with the whole ordeal.

_This is going nowhere fast! He's got too many crazy techniques. It was alright when he was in his normal form; we could just slug it out. But now it seems most of them are long-distance. Come on. I just need to get one good hit on him._

A crack of lightning lanced down beside Grimmjow, burning a cut open on his cheek.

_Fuck it. I'm done dealing with this. You're dead._

Anchoring himself on the ground, Reiatsu burst out of the former Espada's body. Ten massive claw-like constructs of reishi appeared over the backs of his hands, floating in midair.

Taking note of the Arrancar, Sylvanus momentarily ceased his assault and narrowed his brows. _So... You want to end this with the next attack. Fine._

The clouds overhead began to churn and rumble.

Hissing between his teeth, Grimmjow glared up at the Sternritter. "Desgarrón."

Sylvanus raised his right hand. "Jupiter's Might!"

An enormous explosion seared across the landscape as the two attacks collided, with a deafening crack.


	52. Shooting Star Project: B-Side Playlist

**Chapter 52: Shooting Star Project [B-Side Playlist]**

"When the hell did you have time to make this?" Ichigo asked, pulling a confused face as he stared up at the towering object.

An enormous canon stood, floor to ceiling, in the middle of a ludicrously huge room, throwing a dark shadow over Ichigo, Chad and Orihime.

"I think the real question is: how did I mange to get Mayuri's permission to build it in the basement of the 12th Division Headquarters~?" Urahara chimed, breaking into a wide smile and tapping away at the control panel in front of him.

Ichigo and Chad nervously glanced towards the shop owner. "You mean, Mayuri doesn't know about this...?"

Breaking into a laugh, Urahara stopped typing for a brief moment. "I'm just kidding! He was the one who built this! After the arrival of the Royal Guard, he started work on this so that he could one day collect samples from the Soul Palace. I'm just borrowing it, without his permission."

"Somehow I feel like that's worse..." Chad said, hesitantly.

"Oh it's fine," Urahara chuckled, brushing off the remark. "Though this thing is really only good for one shot so... No one tell him it was me that used it, okay?"

Ichigo, who was in the process of clambering into the side entrance to the cannon, froze up. "What do you mean it's only good for one shot?"

"Well the techniques used by the Shiba Family to make canons isn't something that can be copied at the drop of a hat," the former Captain explained. "So please be gentle with it. It really is rather delicate."

"Um, are you sure that this thing is safe?" Ichigo asked, visibly shaken.

"Oh it's fine!" Urahara said, brushing him off in a light hearted manner. "As long as it's able to fire, alls well that ends well. The real problem is that, as things stand, we don't have enough energy to fire it."

As Ichigo and his two companions climbed into the canon and sat on the ground, there was a knock at the door. Akon poked his head around the frame.

"Um, Mr Urahara?"

"Yyyyyyyess?" he replied, playfully stretching out the word.

"She's arrived," Akon responded. "Do you want me to send her through."

"Of course! Thank you, Akon-Chan~!"

Stepping through the doorway, a dark-skinned woman clad in a skintight leotard and a long cloak entered the room.

"Welcome back Yoruichi-San," Urahara said, peering from underneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, and breaking into an amused expression.

"Kisuke," she replied, breaking into a soft smile.

"Yoruichi!" Ichigo cried, sticking his head out of the hole in the side of the canon.

"It's been so long!" Orihime shouted in an excited manner, joining Ichigo.

Waving back at them, Yoruichi continued to smile.

"I take it you've got the goods?" Urahara suddenly asked.

Yoruichi's expression grew stern. Opening her cloak, she revealed several dozen bottles filled with a clear, glowing fluid.

Chad pulled a confused face. "What's that?"

"Before the Quincys attacked the Soul Society, they invaded and overtook Hueco Mundo," he explained. He ignored the shocked expression that gripped Ichigo's face and continued. "All of the Hollows and Arrancar that resisted them were killed. It was quite a hefty number... Because of this, the balance of Souls in the Universe began to distort and the dimensions began to slip and overlap. Temporal anomalies appeared in the World of the Living." Urahara turned towards Yoruichi. "When they appeared, a huge amount of energy was released. I had my good friend here gather that energy, to power the canon."

"Seems legit..." Ichigo muttered, a slightly simple look passing over his face.

"Now then," Urahara grinned. "Are you all ready to go?"

* * *

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction) continued to belt his opponents with a rain of glowing blue arrows. Whipping around his body, his grey and red poncho danced with the force of the numerous shockwaves that were blown back towards him. Mimicking this motion, his white and black hair billowed backwards like wisps of monochrome flame.

Zipping from side to side, his flat black eyes followed Renji and Rukia's movements through the explosions. His keen vision managed to pick out even the smallest motion from the pair.

While long range fighting wasn't his forte, he was still capable enough to keep the two Shinigami Lieutenants at bay, while he formulated a plan.

_I can't use my Schrift... It was dangerous enough to heal myself the last time. Christ, it feels like my head is being ripped in half. Damn those brutes earlier! Making me use my powers as much as I have. Damn them to Hell!_

A shot of red spiritual energy erupted from the smoke and lanced towards Zeit.

Ducking underneath the blast, the white-haired man continued to bombard his targets. As the attack passed over him, it broke apart and disintegrated, being drawn towards him.

_Kido? Surely you can do better than that. Don't you know Quincy can absorb Kido. Are you really that out of options?_

In the distance a bright flash of light, and the crack of an enormous explosion, seared across the skyline.

Zeit's eyes momentarily flitted to the side.

Another equally massive explosion ripped across the horizon, from the opposite direction.

_What on Earth was that?_

* * *

Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) shook blood from the black formless shape that she held clasped in her hand.

Above her head, a pitch black halo floated, seemingly drawing in all light from the area. Beating from her back was a pair of huge feathery wings; one as bright as the sun and the other black as night.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood, clasping his shoulder and breathing heavily. A wide grin was plastered across his face and blood stained the front of his Shihakusho.

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful..." he chuckled. "'Vollständig', was it? Utterly splendid! This is my first time experiencing one up close and in the flesh. It far surpasses any of my expectations. At first I thought it comparable to a Bankai, but now I see that it is so much more than that!"

Clarimond ignored him and reached out with her free hand. Clenching her fist and turning it sideways, she narrowed her eyes maliciously.

The shadows beneath Mayuri's feet sprung up in think black tendrils and latched onto the Captain's limbs. Digging into his skin, they snapped taut and tugged down towards the ground.

Beginning to move her hands, like a puppeteer, Clarimond forced the Captain's limbs into uncomfortable positions.

"Cast der Schatten Gottes," she muttered under her breath.

Grunting in pain, Mayuri never once broke eye-contact with the girl. Clenching his teeth, he depressed a switch on the top of one of his molars. A burst of spiritual energy exploded from his skin, dispersing the shadows and freeing him, before his bones were broken.

Leaping into the air, he left the shadows behind and moved out of their range.

Hurriedly reaching down, he jammed his finger into the side of his leg. No sooner had he done so, two floating disks of glowing spiritual energy appeared beneath his feet.

Clarimond's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh! Do you like them?" Mayuri grinned, hovering several feet off the ground. "This is a little something that I developed after completing all of my research on Quincys."

"Hirenkyaku..." she hissed, through clenched teeth.

"Exactly!" he laughed, in response. Madness twinkled in his eyes. "I think I'll be making use of these, until I've found a way to deal with those pesky shadows."

"If you think that's my only trick, YOU'RE SORELY MISTAKEN!" Clarimond screamed, rage spewing from her lips.

Shadows yet again sprung up from the ground, however as opposed to wires, this time they took the shape of thin streamlined projectiles. Screaming through the air, several plunged into Mayuri before he had time to dodge.

Laughing like a lunatic, the Captain soared through the air avoiding the projectiles. The shadows-made-solid zipped up behind him, all of them missing by half a step.

Turning his head towards the Quincy girl, as he dodged, he shouted down to her. "You just keep finding new ways to pique my interest! However... I grow weary of this battle. I will have plenty of time to observe you abilities in my lab, after I have captured you!"

Clarimond abandoned the shadow blade clasped in her right hand, forming two crossbows from the airborne reishi around her, and began to pelt Mayuri with Heilig Pfeil, to accompany her shadow projectiles.

"Peel back your eyelids, and make sure you watch closely," Mayuri continued, all the while dodging the numerous shots coming towards him. "I haven't shown this to anyone before... With all this information I've gathered, I can finally give birth to it!"

The Zanpakuto gripped between Mayuri's digits began to crackle; spiritual energy sparking off of it.

Clarimond stopped her assault, to watch the Captain. The whole time she was fighting Mayuri, the one thing that she benefitted most from was caution.

Grinning like a Cheshire Cat, the crazed Shinigami lifted his Zanpakuto in front of his face. "Ban...Kai..."

Anticipating a spray of poison, Clarimond hurriedly formed a mask from shadows and fixed it to the bottom half of her face.

Erupting from his sword, mounds of flesh began to contort and bubble; expanding to massive size and warping, before melding into a gigantic humanoid shape.

"Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo: Matai Fukuin Shoutai.

The Bankai took the form of an enormous red-skinned baby. Horns extended from either side of its deformed and misshapen head, suspending a pair of lamps out into the open air. Tattooed across its stomach was a series of large black Japanese characters, and running from its sternum to its pubic bone was a huge lateral incision, sewn shut. It sat leaning against what appeared to be an equally massive sack of slimy glistening organs.

This was not the Bankai that Clarimond had read about, when she had obsessively studied the Daten concerning Mayuri Kurotsuchi. "What in God's name is that...?"

"A Modified Bankai," Mayuri chuckled. "I created the Matai Fukuin Shoutai by tinkering with my Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo. It is an alternate form of my Bankai. And with its power... I can give birth to other Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo, based on the information that I send to it."

"I don't understand..." the Quincy girl replied, uneasily taking a step backwards, with the aid of the Ranso Tengai that still moved her.

"You will soon..." he grinned, narrowing his eyes.

An ear-splitting scream tore through the air. Writhing and thrashing on the spot, the enormous baby began to convulse in pain. The sewn up wound adorning its stomach began to bulge, before being torn asunder to reveal another equally as grotesque creature.

Crawling from its parent and landing with a wet thump on the ground, the new creature began to crawl towards Clarimond.

Its head was at least as big as the remainder of its body, and bore two bulbous black eyes. A wide, thick-lipped mouth stretched from ear to ear, taking up the majority of the thing's face. The body (if it could be called that) was so out of proportion to the head that it was almost laughable, and bore dozens of malformed limbs that resembled the arms of a baby; like a long-doomed attempt to create a human caterpillar.

As soon as it opened its mouth, the creature began to suck in air.

All of the shadows of the surrounding area were subsequently drawn towards it, before being swallowed into its void of a mouth.

Clarimond's deep purple eyes widened in dismay and horror.

"This Ashisogi Jizo is able to consume shadows," Mayuri explained, revelling in his gleeful cloating. "Really a shadow is a region where light from a source is obstructed by an object. Typically not a physical structure... However... It occurred to me when I witnessed you Quincys transform the Seireitei into your city. Here, in the Soul Society, shadows are constructs of reishi. It's not such an alien concept, after all everything else here is made from Reishi, so why not shadows. And being made of reishi, they have their own unique reishi signature. This Ashisogi Jizo is able to identify that and selectively consume everything bearing that signature."

The black wing adorning Clarimond's back was ripped from her and sucked towards the monstrosity, before being swallowed.

"Had you used your abilities in the World of the Living, I dare say you would have had me on the ropes," Mayuri continued. "Now I know that you also are able to utilise light, however... During my observations earlier I made a very important discovery... Yes it's true, you are able to use light to power your attacks, but the less light there is, the weaker they are." He quickly glanced around at the sky. "And with the sun going down like this, you're going to run out of power soon."

Clarimond ground her teeth together with such force, they could have shattered. Finally giving into her compulsion, she utilised her Ranso Tengai to pull her hand up towards her face and began to gnaw on the gap between her thumb and index finger.

"Now..." Mayuri said, sadism dripping from his vocal chords. "Are you ready to give up?"

An enormous explosion ripped across the horizon. Light seared through the sky in a blazing white sheet, illuminating the entire of the Silbern.

_NOW!_ Clarimond's mind screamed at her.

Her free hand shot out, jerked upwards by the reishi strings that moved her.

"GOTTES NOVA!"

All off the light was sucked down and compacted into a tiny ball, hovering between Mayuri and his pair of deformed infants.

The tightly compacted ball of light detonated with so much force that the whole Silbern shuddered.

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) dropped out of the air like a stone. Behind his back, his wings dispersed into ambient reishi, just before he slammed into the ground.

Grimmjow Jeaggerjaquez was blown backwards by the force of the explosion, ploughing through at least two dozen buildings. Ripping from his body and morphing into the form of a sword, clasped in his hand, his Ressurrecion disengaged.

The resulting blast of their colliding attacks had significantly damaged both combatants.

Both men lost consciousness.

The fight ended in a draw.

In the distance, the blast from Clarimond's attack lit up the sky. Neither of the men were roused from their daze.

* * *

Ichigo, Chad, Orihime and Yoruichi were sat inside the cannon, when they heard the two huge explosions rumbling in the distance. The second of which cause the very floor beneath them to shake.

"What was that...?" Ichigo asked, uneasily. He shifted his weight to one side and narrowed his eyes, placing one hand on the floor.

"It's probably a fight somewhere," Yoruichi replied. "But I don't recognise any of the Reiatsu..."

"What if someone's in trouble?" A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Ichigo's face.

"It won't do us any good, sitting around and worrying about what might be happening," Chad said, crossing his arms over his chest. "All we have to do is focus on what we're going to be doing... Strategies for once we arrive at the Soul Palace."

Yoruichi laughed softly under her breath. "You're right, Chad. The worst thing we could do is sit here and waste our opportunity to strategise."

"So what are we going to do?" Orihime asked, knitting her brows together.

"First we need to assess the enemy force," Yoruichi said, slowly. Her voice carried a weight to it, that indicated the seriousness of the situation. The gathered group found it slightly reminiscent of when they knew her solely in her cat form. "From what I can tell, the enemy has left a number of soldiers still on the ground... More than likely to ensure that the Shinigami are too preoccupied to follow them up to the Palace... However, what I'm most worried about are the soldiers that they've taken with them." A bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face. Ichigo and his friends found themselves realising that this was the only time they had ever seen her visibly rattled. "The Royal Guard aren't pushovers, so it's safe to assume that the enemies up there are either incredibly strong, or incredibly dangerous... Probably both."

Chad and Orihime both nodded. Ichigo remained motionless, staring intently at the dark-skinned woman.

Yoruichi paused for a second, to take a deep breath, before continuing. "Kisuke has provided me with some data of all enemy soldiers that have appeared in this invasion, for us to look through. Now this isn't everything, and there may be some gaps, but it's better than nothing."

Pulling out a small device, Yoruichi depressed a switch on the side of it and left it to float in the centre of the seated group. A holographic projection, in the shape of a cube, appeared around the device. Each side of the cube displayed the same image, so that every one of them could see the same thing.

"The enemy had, in their ranks, twenty six individuals with power comparable to, or greater, than the average Captain," Yoruichi elaborated. "They're called Sternritter, and each of them have been assigned a letter, with a specific power related to that letter."

Chad and Orihime leaned close to the images and studied them. After a few seconds, Ichigo followed suit.

"From observing the battles in the Soul Society, we know that there are twelve of them left. That isn't including Yhwach and Uryu, so really it's more like fourteen." Her deep gold eyes narrowed slightly. As she spoke, the images of three men appeared in front of the group. "Two of them were killed in the first invasion: the letters Q and Z. Kisuke was also able to incapacitate and capture the letter F."

"Gillaume..." Ichigo muttered under his breath, as he laid eyes on the picture of the old man with the burn scar. "He was dangerous... If Urahara hadn't helped me, this guy would have kept me in Karakura town..."

"He was that strong...?" Chad asked, his face stoic.

"From what information we've received, he's actually one of the weaker members of the enemy army," Yoruichi explained. "It was his ability that made him as dangerous as he was."

A new set of images flashed up onto the screen, this time depicting an array of individuals dressed in variations of a white military uniform.

"C, E, H, I, J, K, L, R, U, W and X..." Yoruichi said, listing off the individuals in order. "These are the other enemy soldiers that were killed in this invasion..."

Chad's eyes opened wide as his vision fell on an image of Sideyatosiya Kirmie. "What the Hell is that thing...?" he gasped.

"That's the Sternritter that killed Byakuya..." Urahara said, his voice somber as he stepped inside the canon.

Ichigo's heart lurched up into his chest. "Wh-what?!"

It was true that, since Ichigo arrived in the former Seireitei, he couldn't sense the Captain of the Sixth Division, however he assumed that was because he was away during the attack, like Komamura and Ukitake. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined Byakuya dying.

"That particular enemy could control insects..." the former Captain explained. "He had filled the sewers underneath the entire of the city with bugs. He could create more indefinitely and as long as even one of them survived, so could he. Byakuya sacrificed himself to destroy all of them. He saved everybody."

Ichigo felt like he was going to be sick. Rage and anger bubbled inside him, churning his stomach. The knowledge the Byakuya had died saving everyone had lessened the blow, but not by much.

"So that one's dead...?" Ichigo managed to grind out, through his gritted teeth.

"Yes..." Urahara replied, slowly.

"Good."

"So which ones are left?" Orihime hesitantly asked, breaking the silence that had settled on her group. She cast her eyes downwards and clasped her hands together atop her lap.

"A, B, D, G, M, N, O, P, S, T, V and Y..." Urahara said, pulling the rim of his hat down and darkening the shadow over his eyes.

Images of ten individuals appeared on the holographic screens, reflecting in the eyes of the group.

"As things stand now, we haven't been able to assign letters to some of them, and two of them we haven't so much as caught a glimpse of; hence the lack of two pictures," Urahara elaborated. "What we do know is this..." He pointed at a picture of a beautiful white-haired individual, of indeterminable gender. "Is Sternritter Y. He's able to control the weather to create blizzards. He is the man who killed Captain Hitsugaya in the first invasion."

Ichigo clenched his fists and gritted his teeth even tighter.

"And this..." Urahara let the tip of his finger hover over an image of a man with messy black hair and glasses. "Is Joseph Fehler. Sternritter M. So far, we have no idea what his unique ability is; only that he is extremely powerful. He fought Byakuya in the first invasion and managed to beat him soundly. He didn't even receive so much as a scratch. Luckily, he was kind enough to identify himself and state his letter."

"Isn't that..." Chad began, indicating a photo of a sultry young woman with black and red hair.

"The woman that attacked us," Ichigo completed. He looked up at Urahara. "She was after you, as well. She was strong too... Damn near killed me. If Komamura hadn't shown up when he did, I might have died."

"I know," the hat-clad man replied. "Fortunately she's still engaged in combat. It's one of the few locations where some of Mayuri's spy cameras haven't been destroyed."

"Komamura's been able to hold her off for that long?" Yoruichi asked, mildly impressed.

"Not exactly..." Urahara said, bringing up a live video feed of the battle, to replace the photographs.

"Oh my God..." Orihime gasped.

"That's... Four Captains..." Ichigo said, horrified. "She's fighting four Captains!"

"Believe it or not, this is good for us..." Yoruichi muttered. "If she's that powerful, then it's in our favour if she's down here on the ground, rather than up there, where we're going to be."

The screens shifted, once again, to show the images of the remaining Sternritter.

"I recognise some of these..." Ichigo said, reaching out towards the holograms. He pointed at six of the individuals: Basilisk, Sylvanus, Zeit, Aya, Clarimond and Snow. "These six are definitely down here on the ground. When I first landed, they all attacked me."

"Which means the remaining three, plus the two we don't have pictures of, are likely the ones we'll come across in the Royal Palace." Yoruichi shifted her seating position and rested her elbow atop one knee. "Add into that Yhwach and Uryu, and that makes seven of them in the Palace."

"Those aren't as bad odds as I thought..." Chad said, a vague sense of relief radiating from him.

"Don't jump for joy just yet," the dark-skinned woman retorted. "The fact that there are so few of them is unsettling... If Yhwach is confident he can take over the Royal Palace with just six of his subordinates he's either crazy, or each one of them is insanely strong. And seeing that Joseph Fehler is one of them... It's probably the latter."

"So..." Urahara smirked. "Are you ready to go and meet them?"

Ichigo's face grew steely. Determination shone from his eyes as he nodded.

"WAIT!" suddenly shouted a voice, from the entrance to the lab. The doors swung open and slammed against the bordering walls, revealing a large man dressed in an extravagant green and yellow outfit. He sat astride an extremely rotund wild boar with a small pink now atop its head. "You're really tryin' to blast off, without this handsome devil!?"

"Oh dear God..." Ichigo groaned, sticking his head out of the side of the canon and breaking into an unreadable deadpan expression. "I thought that voice sounded familiar. What the Hell are you doing here? What, were you bored or something?"

"What the hell are you talkin' about?!" Ganju Shiba shouted, in reply. "This ain't somethin' you come to when you're bored! What, you think this is some drinkin' party or somethin'?" He pointed a huge sausage of a finger at Ichigo in a dramatic pose. "Who do you think launches the Great Heavenly Canon in the first place!?"

Ichigo's face remained devoid of all emotion. "Your sister."

Ganju flustered for a brief second, before he resumed shouting. "W-well, yeah... B- But that's besides the point!" He whipped out a long ornate scroll and pulled it open. "Look! I'm the one with the map through the barriers, to the Royal Palace! You ain't getting anywhere without me! How's that, huh?!"

Ichigo glanced sidelong at Urahara. "Do we really have to take him with us...?"

"Well he does seem very enthusiastic about it," the former head of Research and Development replied, simply.

Ichigo paused for a second before he spoke. "You do understand how serious this is, Ganju?" He stared into his cousin's eyes and broke into a serious expression. "This won't be like anything we've seen before. It goes way beyond a 'last man standing' sort of thing..."

"Don't you think I don't know that, dumbass?!" Ganju shouted, in reply. He pointed his thumb back towards his face. "Why do you think I decided to come in the first place?!"

Ichigo broke into a smile and shifted over. "If you say so."

Urahara climbed out of the canon, and Ganju dismounted Bonnie and climbed into the giant metal structure. The hole that he entered through sealed up behind him.

As Urahara began the countdown, Orihime broke into a soft smile and looked around the group. "This really takes me back..." she said, softly. "That time, when we all went to save Kuchiki-San..." She looked over at Yoruichi and laughed ever so slightly. "You were still a cat back then."

"Hey, I can still transform whenever I want," came the playful retort.

Orihime's face grew slightly somber. "And Ishida-Kun was still with us..." She stared down at her lap. "I wonder... If he'll ever come back to us..."

"Of course he will."

Everyone turned to stare at Ichigo.

"We're going to beat Yhwach... And while we're at it, we're going to beat Ishida too, and drag him back with us. That's what we all agreed, didn't we?"

Orihime broke into a wide smile. "Yeah!"

Urahara pressed a large button on the control panel in front of him. The canon erupted, launching the group into the air.


	53. Sorry I Am Strong

**Chapter 53: Sorry I Am Strong**

Tenjirou Kirinji, the Demon of the Hot Springs, spasmed once before finally succumbing to the effects of Nina's power. He lay motionless on the Vestibule Road. Still protruding from his head and pointing up at the sky, his pompadour began to droop.

"Goodbye, Tenjirou Kirinji," Nina Redwing (The Blood) said, an air of regret clinging to her voice. "You fought well."

Turning away from the deceased Royal Guard, the red-haired girl began to walk back towards Yhwach and his entourage.

"Very nicely done, Nina," Yhwach said, his praise echoing down the white path in front of him. "It appears I was right to bring you with me to the Palace. Kirinji was one of the more troublesome members of the Zero Division. We couldn't just have him heal the other members now, could we?"

"No Sir," Nina replied, her voice flat and the gaze from her deep brown eyes perfectly level.

Yhwach chuckled slightly and patted her on the shoulder, before stepping past the Sternritter and making his way towards Tenjirou's corpse. Narrowing his blood red eyes, Yhwach stomped down on the chest of the dead Shinigami.

"Yhwach..." suddenly arose a voice from the direction of the Palace.

Senjumaru Shuutara stood, staring down from an elevated platform at the Quincy King. Behind her back, the numerous ceramic arms that adorned her clacked and rattled. Stepping up onto the path surrounding her was a legion of black-clad soldiers.

In front of Yhwach, the Vestibule Road rose up, each wooden plank that constituted it sitting slightly higher than the last until it had formed an enormous staircase.

"To think that you would invade the Royal Palace," she continued, beginning to descend the stairs towards the Kaiser of the Quincy. "You must have lost what remained of your sanity when you defeated Genryusai. Make no mistake, retaliation will be swift and severe."

"Retaliation?" he mused, raising a single eyebrow. Opening his tattered black cloak, he revealed the body on Kirinji beneath his foot. "Retaliation from whom?"

Shuutara's body stiffened. "Such insolence."

The soldiers that flanked her charged down the stairs and all moved at the same time to stab Yhwach. He didn't even attempt to dodge. Passing by him, every single attack failed to find its mark.

Eyes opening wide, Shuutara was stunned by the occurrence. Why is it that none of the blades hit him?

The soldiers all jumped back, away from Yhwach.

"If you believe that mere foot soldiers are enough to reach me, then you are sorely mistaken," Yhwach said, his voice low and flat. His eyes betrayed nothing and he didn't so much as move an inch. Beneath his feet, bubbling from the black depths of his shadow, a legion of Soldat rose up and revealed themselves. "For the likes of these, my Soldat are more than enough." He returned his piercing gaze to Shutara. "And as for the Royal Guard... My Schutzstaffel shall be your opponents."

Extending underneath the feet of Shuutara's soldiers and the Soldat, Yhwach's shadow reached the bottom of the great staircase. Rising from the darkness, three figures revealed themselves. They were each clad in a large hooded white cloak, emblazoned with a black six-pointed Zeichen and fastened at the front with three buttons, bearing the symbol of the Vandenreich.

Uryu, still stood behind Yhwach at the very end of the Vestibule Road, turned towards the genderless white figure of Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A), for an explanation on who the new arrivals were. Instead, he found empty air.

Beraht appeared amongst the cloaked individuals and tipped its hat, throwing its face in shadow.

"That's His Majesty's personal Elite Guard," Nina explained, walking up beside Uryu and staring back at her four fellows at the bottom of the staircase. "The Schutzstaffel... Three of them are ranked among the Top Seven strongest Sternritter, and all of them are beyond dangerous." She glanced sideways at the teenage boy. "If I were you, I would watch closely. This isn't going to last long."

One of the cloaked figures threw back his hood and sat down on the ground. Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) tilted his head to the side and groaned.

"You okay down there?" came a pleasant voice from inside the hood of another figure. Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) pulled back the fabric obscuring his face and broke into a charming smile. Pushing his half-rim glasses up his nose, he looked down at his comrade. "I must say, I didn't expect you to be the one who was promoted."

"Neither did I..." Onmar muttered in reply. "It's as much of a surprise to me as it is to you."

"Well you'd best make sure to do your best," Joseph chuckled, checking his watch and tapping the face. "We wouldn't want you making a mistake and losing your life like our former comrade."

"It is truly a shame that Kirmie has passed on to his eternal rest," Beraht said softly. "However, let us not dwell on it. The world is afflicted by death and decay; but the wise do not grieve, having realised the nature of the world. Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely."

"What a lovely saying!" Joseph exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips and leaning forward before turning his head to look at the pure white being. "That was really rather good."

"I doubt Kirmie lived wisely..." Onmar muttered, cupping his chin in one hand and resting his elbow on his knee. "Disgusting bastard." Even now, he still held an overwhelming hatred for his former comrade. Killing him had done little to quell his anger towards Kirmie.

"All beings tremble before violence. All fear death, all love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?" Beraht's voice was flat and calm.

"Um... I don't mean to step on anyone's toes," Joseph said, politely raising a single finger and breaking into a wide smile. "But I believe that hurting others is the point of what we do?"

The last remaining member of the Schutzstaffel ignored his fellows, instead striding forwards and beginning to climb the stairs.

"Oh dear..." Joseph commented, following his comrade with his emerald green eyes. "There he goes again. This does not bode well."

Reaching the top of the stairs, the large cloaked man stood directly in front of Shuutara and stared down at her, without a word. After several seconds a snickering laugh began to emerge from the depths of his hood.

"What are you laughing at?" Shuutara asked, practically spitting out the sentence.

The figure said nothing. The quiet laughter grew louder, until it had become a giggle.

"Enough of this..." Shuutara hissed. "Shield of the Soul King! Stop this wretch in his tracks!"

Dropping out of the sky, an enormous man, clad in the same garb as Shuutara's minions, landed behind the Zero Division member. Rising to his full height of well over four stories, the giant cast down an ominous presence.

The cloaked Sternritter continued to laugh, growing progressively louder until he had nearly doubled over. An increasingly manic sound cackled out of his hood.

"Oh jheeze..." Joseph muttered, pulling an exasperated expression and holding two fingers up against his forehead. He once again looked down at Onmar. "Please, let's step back a few paces... Trust me, you don't want to get involved in this."

The enormous soldier drew an equally huge black sword from the sheath strapped to his side. Light licked against the blade, shimmering off of the flat surface. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung the weapon down at the cloaked man, with all of his might.

"NICE SWORD YA' GOT THERE!" suddenly screamed an ecstatic voice, from inside the large white hood.

The behemoth's entire arm, still gripping the sword, was ripped clean off by some powerful unseen force. Blood rained down upon the pure white path and began to flow down the stairs, towards the remaining three Schutzstaffel.

Tearing off the cloak that covered him, the last of Yhwach's elite guard revealed himself. Stood at close to six foot four, he was a tall and muscular man. Shaggy blonde hair was pushed out of his face and swept back behind his head. Beneath his right eye was a swirling black tattoo, and running down the left side of his face, from forehead to chin was a long lateral scar. A bright blonde goatee framed the man's mouth, which was twisted into a sickening grin.

The sound of metal on metal rang through the air as he moved. The white military jacket that he wore was open at the front, revealing a multitude of black leather belts and chains covering and binding his bare muscular torso.

Sternritter P, Haans Lander (The Psycho-path) caught the sword as it dropped out of the air, arm and all, as easily as catching a tennis ball. Leaping forward with a scream of joy, amidst a veil of crimson blood, he began to hack away at the giant.

Watching the display, Joseph pinched the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. Closing his eyes behind his glasses, he sighed. "So uncivilised..."

Shuutara took a single step back, her eyes opened wide in shock and dismay for a brief second.

Like a soundtrack to the chaos, Haans laugh punctuated the numerous hacks and slashes that he dealt upon the Shield of the Soul King. Once he was finished, all that remained of the giant was a pile of limbs.

Throwing down the severed arm and accompanying sword, Haans wiped a single leather glove across his blood-smeared face, to remove the fluid. Bright blue eyes, like distant stars, peered through his fingers at Shuutara and creased in amusement.

"I can see iiit~" his voice chimed, a musical air of madness to it. He spoke fast, his voice tumbling rapidly from his lips like running water. "The look in your eyes. You're afraid that you're going to lose. That you're going to die." Haans removed his hand from his face and continued to grin. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Don't know know... You were already dead, the moment His Majesty arrived here!"

A single muscular arm rapidly shot up into the air. Haans' eyes twinkled as he balled his hand into a fist.

"Smash, smash, SMASH!" he shouted, excitedly.

Rapidly bringing his fist down, Shuutara was suddenly driven down into the ground, even in spite of being several feet away from him. It was like a great weight had descended upon her from above.

As opposed to being crushed, the Shinigami woman's form instead crumpled into a heap of silky fabrics.

The sky around the staircase and the accompanying road suddenly began to warp and pull apart, almost as if it were a stage curtain being drawn at the start of a performance.

"The Soul Palace... Is a fake...?" Onmar gasped, staring around himself as he realised that the platform upon which their entire party were standing was not infact connected to the Soul King's Palace, but rather floating out in the open air.

"Ha!" Joseph laughed, clapping his hands. "This is amazing! I never thought you would have been capable of something like this. I must say, you really had us all fooled."

"All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and a falsehood passing from words into things," Beraht said, slowly. Its voice was faint and flat, like a distant whisper.

Onmar raised an eyebrow and glanced sidelong at his strange gender neutral comrade.

Noticing the look, Joseph broke into a slight smile. "You'll get used to it."

"I'm sorry, but we've been pulling the wool over your eyes, to coin a phrase," Shuutara said, appearing behind Nina and Uryu, facing the opposite direction. "The real Soul Palace is this way, where the Monk is lying in wait."

An enormous black symbol, in the shape of the Kanji for "conceal" appeared floating out in midair, in front of where Shuutara stared: 隠

Behind the symbol, the real Soul Palace was finally revealed. Sat cross-legged on the end of the real Vestibule Road, a large calligraphy brush set across his knees, was Hyousube Ichibei.

"Hmm, it appears that someone spilled the beans already..." He narrowed his large eyes. "Then that must mean that the prison is ready?"

Spinning on the heel of his black leather combat boot, Haans turned about himself and rapidly summoned a bow into his hands. Loosing an arrow in the direction of Ichibei, he widened his eyes.

The raised platform on which Haans stood suddenly dropped down, until it was perfectly level with the road on which his comrades stood; the staircase following suit. Springing up into then air, an enormous tree branch intercepted Haans' attack.

Onmar turned his head and stared around the wooden platform on which he sat. The entire structure was now situated in the centre of an immense cage, formed from the branches of a tree.

"Tenjirou..." suddenly arose the voice of Kirio Hikifune, addressing the body at Yhwach's feet. Her large rotund form appeared around the edge of one of the humongous branches. "Your sacrifice wasn't in vain. Because of you, I had enough time to set up this cage. Don't worry... They won't move a single step from this point."

"Really?!" Haans laughed, beginning to belt the cage with arrows. As opposed to doing damage, however, they caused the tree to grow.

"Really," Kirio parroted back. "To control food is to control life. This Cage of Life feeds off of the essence of life itself; reishi. Your attacks only make the cage grow stronger."

Ignoring the Zero Division member, the blonde-haired Quincy continued to launch arrows at the branches. As the condensed reishi continued to slam into the wooden structure, the cage began to grow more and more, further trapping the invading force.

"Haans! Haans!" Joseph shouted, attempting to be heard over his comrade's laughter. "Haans!"

"What?!" the crazed blonde man cried, ceasing his attack and focussing on the bespectacled man.

"You're making it worse," said Joseph, walking forwards and gently gripping his fellow around the wrist. "You keep that up and all that's going to happen is this cage is going to get harder to break out of." Releasing Haans, he pushed his glasses back up his nose. "We need to be smart about this."

"Yooooooo!" suddenly cried a voice, from the far end of the platform.

The four Schutzstaffel turned their attention towards the source of the voice. Behind them Yhwach, Uryu and Nina all did the same.

"Juu, Kyuu, Hachi, Nana, Roku, Go, Shi, Ni-maya Ohetsu!" shouted the new arrival, throwing one hand up into the air and throwing the victory sign. "Paree-pear your-shelves for number one Zanpakuto creator!" As was typical of his introductions, he spoke in English and his accent was horrible.

There was a dull thump as Nimaya dropped the large tank that he carried on his back. Inside the open-topped tank was a block of thick gelatine, and jammed into the gelatine was a blade, the hilt poking up out of the top of the tank.

Silence settled onto the scene for several moments.

The silence was broken by the sound of clapping hands. Joseph beamed towards the Shinigami. "Gut gemacht! Gut gemacht! Very flashy!"

Nimaya broke into a slight grin and locked eyes with the scruffy-haired man. "You have good taste. Any other time and I may have liked you..." He reached down and grasped the blade of the sword, before pulling it out of the tank with a wet pop. "But right now, I'm just not in the mood. So shut your mouths an' all come at me at once. The battle of Squad Zero starts now."

The blade of the sword, clasped in his hand, began to wobble.

"Oh no..." he muttered, pulling it close to his face to observe the sword. "It's been so long since I've drawn it... The forte is loose..." Midway through his inspection, he looked up and peered towards the Schutzstaffel, through the dark lenses of his sunglasses. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to attack me?"

"Such an action would be unfathomably rude," Beraht said softly. "As would all of us attacking you in unison."

Nimaya moved slowly and narrowed his eyes. He did not expect the enemy Elites to be this honourable or eccentric. It was unsettling.

"Would any of you be opposed to me fighting him?" Joseph asked, looking around at the other Sternritter.

When he received no response, he took it as them giving him their blessing to proceed. Removing the cloak draped across his shoulders, he stepped towards Nimaya and tightened the black tie fastened around his neck.

Beneath the cloak, he was revealed to be wearing a double-breasted white military jacket, fastened as high as it would go. The collar was pulled up high and touched the bottom of his ears, and on his left shoulder a decorative patch of fabric, bearing the mark of the Vandenreich, was pinned in place with a silver button. The black belt strapped around the middle of his jacket bore at least a half dozen silver rod-like objects that dangled down and tapped against his side. Hanging down his leg and looping behind his back on the left hand side was a thin silver chain. The pure white suit trousers that he wore fell neatly over a pair of shiny black dress shoes.

"I'd really rather not have to kill you," Joseph said, his emeral green eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "I don't like taking lives." One of his pupils quickly flicked to the side, towards Yhwach who watched him wordlessly. "But orders are orders. So please... Don't make this difficult. I don't want to have to hurt you too much."

"You're confident," Nimaya said, breaking into a wide smile.

Joseph didn't reply. Instead he tilted his head to the side and pulled the corner of his mouth up into a friendly smirk.

Without a second's hesitation, Nimaya rushed him.

Bending his body backwards, Joseph avoided a horizontal slash from the elite Shinigami. Rapidly pulling one of the thin rectangular object from his belt, light burst from the tip and formed into the shape of a blade.

Dipping to the side, to avoid Joseph's retaliatory attack, Nimaya moved out of range and took several steps back. "Nice dodge there!" he cried, praising the Quincy's agility.

"Why thank you!" Joseph replied, leaping towards his opponent. Swinging the Seeleschneider in a narrow arc, before reversing the attack back on itself, the Quincy elite made two rapid slashes at the Royal Guard.

Dodging the attacks, the small tan-skinned man struck back.

Taking one step back, to avoid the stroke of the sword, Joseph broke into a slight grin as a lock of his hair tumbled from his fringe, down his face.

"Whoa-ho," he laughed. "Sharp!"

Spinning on the ball of his foot, the Schutzstaffel member turned to the side and kicked out at the Royal Guard. Sidestepping, Nimaya again raised the bade he held clasped in his fist and took a swipe at his opponent.

The Quincy soldier narrowly managed to avoid having his throat cut.

"Close, but no cigar," he laughed, backstepping again in order to gain some distance.

"You're pretty quick on yer feet," Nimaya said, taking up a simple combat stance. "I didn't expect ya' to be so fast."

"Well, I have to move quick if I'm going to dodge all of your attacks," Joseph replied. "As an aside, you're pretty fast yourself."

"Why are ya' dodging all of them?" the Shinigami asked. "Why not block 'em or deflect 'em with that thing in ya' hand?"

"I think you know why," the Quincy said, pleasantly. "If I tried to block that blade with my Seeleschneider, you'd cut right through it."

"Man, you're a smart one," Nimaya chuckled, smiling broadly and creasing his eyes behind his dark glasses. "Like a doctor or some shit like that."

"I just pay attention to things," Joseph replied, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Holding up the blade into the light, Nimaya began to admire it. "Sayafushi is a failure as a sword. It's far too sleek and it's cutting power is far too high. Flesh, bone, blood- don't matter which. It all jus' slides right off the thing. Can't sheath the damn thing; the only way t' carry it is to use that big ol' tub back there. It's far too impractical for everyday use." Pulling the blade back down into a combat stance, he tilted it slightly to the side. "For that ya' have my thanks. Finally have a chance to let this one shine."

The Zero Squad member suddenly appeared in front of the Sternritter. It didn't even look like he'd moved; more like he'd always been there.

Thrusting his arms forward, Nimaya pierced Joseph through the throat. The tip of the blade exited the back of the Quincy's neck, covered in blood, before rapidly being withdrawn.

Falling forwards, Joseph crumpled into a heap on the floor.

"Next!" Nimaya cried, suddenly leaping towards the three remaining Schutzstaffel.

Lifting the glowing white bow clasped in his hands, Haans readied himself to fire, however the God of the Sword was far too quick. Ducking under the tip of the bow, he sliced upwards, gouging open the blonde man's torso.

Pulling back slightly, he flipped the hilt of the blade around his hand and pointed the sword down at the ground. Plunging the razor sharp point of the weapon down into Onmar, who was in the process of rising to his feet, he impaled the young man through the collarbone.

Spinning on the spot, Nimaya turned his attention away from the downed man and directed a sword swing at Beraht.

"_If I lean while I swing, I should be able to extend my reach enough to cut him, if he moves back,_" Berhat suddenly said, its voice tumbling from its lips and an extraordinarily fast pace.

Dashing to the side, the genderless individual dodged the attack, as Nimaya leaned forwards to slash at it.

"What... Was that...?" Nimaya asked, suddenly ceasing his attack and turning towards the strange white figure. He was sure that the being in front of him had just spoken what he was thinking, faster than he could think it.

He received no response.

"_Hmm_," Beraht hummed quickly, its speech once again taking on a rapid pace. "_Perhaps he can read my mind. Crap, I hope not. That'd suck something fierce. Wait, he's doing it again! Damn. Okay. Best thing to do is just clear my mind and move based on my instincts. Easier said than done though. Damn, is he still doing it? Man, I can see this getting old fast... Boobies! Haha. Okay that was kinda funny. Aaand now it's annoying again_."

Reappearing in front of the marble-like form of the Quincy, Nimaya's arm flashed upwards. The action was extremely fast, the only glimpse to be caught of it being a sudden blur. Beraht was cleaved across the front of its body, before joining its comrades in falling to the floor.

Turning towards Yhwach, Nimaya briefly glanced down at the bodies of the Schutzstaffel. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to go and kill 'em all so quickly. So... What d'ya say, Y.H? Fancy goin' a few rounds with me ya'self?"

* * *

**[A/N: Finally, all of the Sternritter have been revealed! While some of their powers remain a mystery, all of their names, letters and physical appearances have all come to light! We're down to the wire now!**

**I hope you're all still enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it! Much love!]**


	54. Blinded by the Light

**Chapter 54: Blinded by the Light**

"Don't you get it?!" Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) cackled maniacally, two rows of sharp teeth flashing in the light, between her glistening black lips. "You can't kill me! As long as there's even the tiniest amount of blood in the Silbern, I can regenerate!"

"Damn it, she's so much stronger now..." Kensei Muguruma ground out, through gritted teeth, talking over the Sternritter's raving. "And Rose is down for the count..."

"I guess I have no other choice now," Sajin Komamura said, slowly and with great purpose. "I had wanted to hold off on using this for as long as possible, as it drains what little time I have left. But if I don't use it now, I can see her killing too many Shinigami. I cannot let that happen."

Sui-Feng glanced sideways at her newly humanoid comrade. Still churning from her back, the currents of her Shunko whipped through the air. "Use what?"

Komamura's gold eyes began to glow as he took a step towards the enemy. Pale blonde hair fluttered up behind him, caught in the wind. "My Bankai..."

Their conversation was punctuated by the two enormous explosions, resulting from Sylvanus' and Clarimond's respective battles.

Spiritual energy burst from the Squad Seven Captain and tore across the landscape. Beneath his feet, the ground was crushed down under the force of his power. The air grew thick and humid, crackling with sparks of electricity.

"BANKAI!"

* * *

"The Human Metamorphasis Technique."

Komamura, still in his wolf-like form, sat on the floor of a dark cave. Around him, echoing through the darkness, drips of water occasionally fell and splashed against the damp floor. Slow and heavy breathing threw warm air upon the Captain.

Laying in the middle of the cave, in front of Komamura, and dwarfing him by its sheer size, was an enormous dog-like creature.

"So, that is the name of our clan's forbidden ritual..." Komamura said, looking up at the giant entity.

"Yes..." the creature replied, its booming voice reverberating against the rock. "Centuries ago, our clan was banished to the Beast Realm to attone for our innumerable mortal sins. By temporarily casting aside the chains of our sins, we are able to regain our original forms, and with it gain immeasurable power. That is the true nature of the technique."

"And how do I gain this power?" Komamura asked, peering over his snout at the huge being in front of him.

The giant canine pushed a ceramic dish across the ground, with the tip of its nose. "Place your heart in here."

Komamura's body locked up. Horror flickered behind his yellow eyes.

"Tear your heart out of your very being, and in exchange I shall reveal the secrets to you."

Sitting in silence for several seconds, the Captain offered up no reply.

"It is nothing to feel ashamed of," the creature continued. "You are in no way obliged to sacrifice your life for some menial Shinigami."

"That... Is where you're wrong..." Komamura ground out, staring the being in the eye. "Living in the shadows tore at my very soul. I selfishly abandoned the clan and took refuge elsewhere... And Genryusai-Dono took me in." He began to shake. "Everything I am, is thanks to him. The man who was slaughtered by the Quincy. If I can avenge him, and make amends for the shame I brought to the clan at the same time, then all the better!"

* * *

"Kokujo Tengen Myou: Dangai Joue!"

Rising from the ground behind Komamura's newly human body, the giant that constituted his Bankai took shape. Rising to its full height of several stories tall, the behemoth's very presence made the ground shudder.

A harsh crack filled the ears of the gathered combatants. Falling from the giant entity in massive shards, the samurai armour that it typicall wore was discarded, to reveal something horrifying.

Pale slate grey skin was pulled tightly over a sharp and angular skull. Emerging from the temples were a pair of large and curling horns. The figure bore no lips, its teeth bare and exposed to the elements, beneath a thick black moustache. Blazing from its face, the Bankai's eyes burst into bright orange flames. As the body was revealed, far from bearing a hulking muscular form, as one would assume, the giant bore a lean and streamlined appearance. The arms were thin but obviously bore a massive amount of strength to them; corded tightly with dense muscle. Wrapped around the abdomen were six diagonal lengths of black rope, extending out from a central point, over the giant's sternum.

"What... The hell is that?" Gabriele gasped, laying eyes on the Bankai. Around her, the cyan streams of blood circling her body that constituted her wings distorted as she moved. Deep red blood continued to bubble from the hollow of her throat and drip down her breasts.

Stood beside Komamura, Kensei looked up at the giant and raised an eyebrow. "This is more like it..."

Komamura threw himself forwards. As the Bankai copied his movements, the ground behind him was crushed into a massive crater.

The enormous blade the giant wielded ripped down through the air at a speed not befitting its huge size. Gabriele was cleaved completely in half along her midriff. As the attack followed through, the sword slammed into the ground, reducing the concrete to rubble.

Not anticipating the speed at which the Bankai was able to move, Gabriele's regeneration lagged for a brief second. This was enough for Komamura to follow up with another attack. Gripping his sword in both hands, he flipped the blade over and reversed the swing. Just as the Sternritter's two halves of her abdomen reattached, her legs were both sliced completely off.

Screaming in rage, Gabriele summoned two small crucifixes into her talloned hands and launched arrows up at the behemoth that towered over her.

As the arrows detonated, the Bankai began to crumble.

Gabriele's two rows of teeth were exposed in a glinting smile.

However, that did not last long. For just as quickly as it had been damaged, the Bankai began to heal.

As her legs reattached, the Sternritter took a step back and stared through her glowing turquoise eyes in dismay. _The Bankai can heal as well?!_

"You seem surprised," Komamura said, taking another slash at the woman. "Kokujo Tengen Myou is a suit of armour that has had life breathed into it." He hacked off another of her limbs, quickly gaining the advantage with the surprising speed of his Bankai. "By casting aside the armour, its Reiatsu is laid bare. No life, just power." Komamura reached up and tore off the front of his Shihakusho. His bare chest bore a deep hole, revealing that he no longer had a heart. "Just like me."

Gabriele's arm fused back onto the bloody stump of her shoulder. Kicking off from the ground, she dived at Komamura, between the legs of his enormous Bankai. Digging her claws into his shoulders, she leaned her head back and bared her fangs.

"Then I'll just drink you dry! It won't matter how much you regenerate if you haven't got any blood left!"

Komamura ignored her and took a downward swipe with the sword in his hand. Above their heads, the giant copied the movement perfectly.

An enormous blade ripped down and sliced both of them cleanly in half.

Both of them started to heal, however Komamura's regeneration was occurring at a much faster rate.

"Damn you! Damn you!" Gabriele screamed. "Why won't you just die!?"

"You seem to be misunderstanding something..." Komamura said, locking eyes with the monstrous woman. "The reason that I'm able to continue regenerating... Is that I had already set my life aside."

"Then... Then what's the point of healing?!" Gabriele managed to grind out, through her teeth. "What's the point of coming back if you know you're going to die?!"

"Because..." he said, impaling her on the sword clasped in his hand, rather than on that of his Bankai. "To stake my life on the battle that Genryusai-Dono lost his, is the most natural thing in the world. From the moment I stepped into this fight, the decision was made... To set my life on the line!"

Twisting his blade, he split her from navel to hip. Blood surged up Gabriele's throat and poured out of her mouth.

"I may not have been able to avenge Genryusai!" he shouted. "But the least I can do, is keep you here!"

Her rage finally reaching its peak and bubbling over, Gabriele snapped.

Never before had she faced an opponent so tenacious. Never before had she encountered someone that could heal like her. Never before had she found all of her techniques ineffective.

It was at that moment that she chose to resort to something she had never used before. Something that she had tried her best to keep hidden from the other Sternritter.

Vollständig Zweite Stufe.

An explosion of black spiritual energy erupted from Gabriele's body.

"ÎNSÂNGERATĂ DEICID; Gory Deicide."

* * *

Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) disengaged her Vollständig and landed on the ground.

In front of her was a truly humongous crater. The explosion from her Gottes Nova technique had been so huge and so hot, that it had completely atomised the concrete.

Laying in the centre of the crater, his wounds cauterised by the extreme heat of the explosion, was what remained of Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

His right arm had been completely obliterated, along with a large portion of his face. The exposed skin of his torso and head was mottled and charred, from the blast. What remained of his abdomen and legs was twisted and broken almost beyond recognition; a result of the shockwave that had accompanied the explosion.

"At the last instant, you leapt back and attempted to hide behind your own Bankai..." Clarimond said, looming over the half-dead Captain. "I admire your initiative. But it's useless. You won't last long, in your current state. Really, it would be a mercy to kill you now."

Mayuri offered no reply. As he attempted to speak, blood rushed up his throat and splattered down into the hollow of his throat.

The strings of the Ranso Tengai tugged at Clarimond's left arm, pulling it up and allowing her to push a lock of white and black hair behind her ear. A drop of blood dripped down the edge of her hand and splashed against the shoulder of her white jacket. She had bitten a large chunk of flesh from her hand, in her nervous state.

"Nothing to say to me before you die?" she asked. "Nothing about the thousands of Quincy that you murdered?"

His remaining eye glinted in the light; madness sparkling behind it. What was left of Mayuri's mouth curled into a broad smile. "I was... Curious..."

Clarimond pulled up her top lip, exposing her teeth. "Curious?"

"I wanted to know how you all worked... What kept you going... How you would respond to stimuli... I was curious..."

The pupils of Clarimond's deep purple eyes dilated. Her teeth started to chatter and her face contorted in disgust. "That's all?" she spat out. "Why?"

"Imagination, knowledge... Improvements!" he choked out, half cackling. "The very-" More blood spattered against his chest as he coughed. "The very essence of science is... striving to make improvements... To experiment and... and tinker... To extract every tiny piece of data... Until... Until you can gain no more... Only then can you truly advance and create something great... And even then, that isn't enough."

As she listened, the Quincy girl continued to tremble.

"Then you experiment on your creation!" Mayuri laughed, his deformed body rocking and shaking. "Never stop! Always progress!"

"You're... Insane..." Clarimond spat out, narrowing her eyes and clenching her fist tightly.

"The illusion of 'sanity' is nothing but a subjective opinion," Mayuri said, grinning. His blind and deformed right eye was distorted by his smile.

"So what now?" she asked, knitting her neat and elegant eyebrows together. "What happens now that you're dying? Does someone like you carry on your work? Or does it just all go to waste?"

Really, she didn't care. Clarimond had no idea why she asked those questions. All that she really cared about was how she was finally getting revenge for the murder of her family. About how she could finally rest easy knowing that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was dead.

She could feel the effects of his Zanpakuto's limp-paralysing poison leave her body; indicating that he was close to death. In response to this, she dispersed her Ranso Tengai.

"What a... Stupid question!" Mayuri cackled. "A great scientist always-" He entered into a heavy fit of bloody coughs. "Always sets up... Safeguards... To stop... Anyone stealing their work!"

"What are you-?"

Clarimond was cut off as a device implanted inside Mayuri's left ear crackled into life. The sound of static filled the air for a brief moment.

"Nemu!" Mayuri shouted, seemingly to no one. "Execute order Eighty Six!"

Instinctively, Clarimond raised her right hand and pointed her index finger towards the Captain. The Heilig Licht burst from her finger and bored a hole through Mayuri's skull, right between his eyes.

As his head fell backwards, the ever-present sadistic smirk still played across his lips.

All of a sudden, Mayuri's body began to glow.

Immediately realising what was about to happen, Clarimond jumped back and activated her Hirenkyaku.

Detonating fiercely, the now deceased Captain's body scattered a clear and viscous liquid about the area.

Lifting her right hand up, the monochrome-haired girl tried to shield her face from the substance. While the rest of her body managed to avoid it, the liquid managed to splash against her raised palm and slip through her fingers, coming to rest on her right cheek. Instantly, she felt a burning sensation. Her ring and pinky fingers sizzled and melted, dropping off and bouncing twice against the ground. Smoke seared up into the air from her face; the skin from her jaw to below her right eye bubbling.

Screaming in agony, Clarimond fumbled with the sabre strapped to her left hip. Finally managing to pull it out of the sheath, with her unharmed left hand, she lifted the blade into the air.

Already the acid had started to eat away at the rest of her right hand.

Not hesitating for a second, she sawed her weapon across the joint of her wrist, rending the afflicted hand from her body.

Shaking from the pain and still screaming, she pulled the sword up towards her face. Biting down on her lip to muffle the scream and stop her trembling, she cut away the searing flesh from her cheek.

Once she was sure that she had removed all of the skin that had been touched by acid, Clarimond activated Blut Vene to stop her bleeding.

She was lucky. If she had reacted even a second later, she would have lost an eye.

Glaring over the torn and bloody muscle of what remained of her cheek, Clarimond directed her vision at where Mayuri had previously been laying. Not a trace of him remained.

"Dirty bastard..." she spat out, casting her eyes down towards the bloody stump of her wrist.

However, even in spit of the pain she was feeling, and the rage she felt towards Mayuri for injuring her, there was something behind it all. In the far reaches of her mind. She felt...

Content.

It started as a chuckle, before slowly beginning to grow.

Before she knew it, Clarimond was laughing more than she ever had before. Tears rolled from her eyes; those on the right stinging her injured cheek.

"I've won..." the Quincy girl laughed, scarcely believing her own words. "Mother... Father... I've killed him!" More laughter. "I've finally killed him!"

* * *

Kisuke Urahara's fingers were dancing across the keyboard in front of him. He worked like a man possessed, making sure that everything that he needed was ready and accounted for.

The canon may have only been good for one shot, but it wasn't the only way to get to the Soul Palace. Nor was the Flower Crane Canon, currently residing at the Shiba residence.

All he needed was a large enough power source to stabilise it, and he could create a gate. A portal to the Royal Palace of the Soul King.

Everything else had been provided for by Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

If Urahara didn't know any better, he would have said that Mayuri had been planning on making his own gate there, to collect samples.

All of a sudden, a curious thing happened.

The screen in front of him began to flash. Beneath his fingers, the keys of the control panel locked up and refused to move.

A robotic female voice echoed through the lab, from a series of unseen speakers.

**_Order Eighty Six initiated._**

"Order Eighty Six...?" Urahara whispered under his breath, turning his head around and looking over the lab. "What is that?"

The monitor in front of him crackled to life again. The image of Mayuri's face appeared, grinning down at him.

**_"Naughty naughty,"_** it said. **_"Accessing my research without my permission. We can't have that now, can we? Call it spite, but I don't want anyone poking around in what I've been up to, and taking credit for my ideas. So, as of now, all data stored on this database will be wiped. I'm very sorry!"_** It started to laugh.

An alarm started to sound and a countdown appeared on the screen.

"Oh no..." Urahara whispered. Turning to run, he shouted at the members of the Research and Development Institute. "Everyone get out!"

A single word flashed across the screen.

**-Goodbye-**

* * *

The building that housed the Lab exploded.


	55. The Fallacy

**Chapter 55: The Fallacy**

_My whole life, people have always avoided me._

_I was always perpetually, and often painfully, alone. So alone in fact, that I couldn't even talk to myself. Call me crazy but when I spoke, I could always tell that the other voice was mine._

_While that's something I've grown accustomed to as time has gone on, when I was a child it really hit me hard._

_My parents would often tell me that I wasn't wanted._

_Someone with a bit more tact would have referred to me as a "surprise"._

_My mother and father, however, lacked even that much refinement. They always made a point of telling me exactly what I was._

_A Mistake._

* * *

"Everyone get out!" Urahara shouted, making a dash for the door of the Lab. Stooping down, he grabbed hold of Kana by the back of her Shihakusho and dragged the bespectacled girl through the door with him.

Behind him, Akon, Hiyosu and at least six other members of the Research and Development Institute managed to evacuate the building before it exploded. The dozens of scientists who were too just slow let out chilling screams as they were trapped inside the building.

A shockwave slammed into the backs of the evacuees, before they were buried beneath piles of rubble.

Pulling himself from the wreckage, Akon grimaced and gripped the back of his neck. "What the hell was that?" he asked, looking around and checking the remaining numbers.

"Mayuri set the lab to explode, and the data to wipe itself," Urahara said, pushing a large chunk of concrete off of him, and lifting Kana out of the rubble. He ignored the dark-haired girl's frantic attempts to thank him. "I don't know why though... I thought we were all working together."

"The Captain..." suddenly arose a quiet voice, from just outside the sphere of destruction. "Mayuri-Sama is dead..."

Nemu Kurotsuchi stepped into the light and looked across the shell-shocked personnel. Her expression, typically one of melancholy, was tinted with sadness and regret.

"Wait!" Akon shouted, rising to his feet and sweeping his arms wide to his sides. "What do you mean the Captain is dead?! That's impossible! How could he die?!"

"He fought an opponent that was too strong for him..." Nemu said, solemnly. Something strange passed across her face and at her side, she clenched her fist. "And I wasn't there to protect him."

"So he decided when he died, he didn't want anyone else looking at his research..." Urahara muttered, under his breath. "Damn it... All that hard work for nothing."

"I... I can't believe that he's gone..." Akon gasped, staring down at the ground; his eyes vacant and blank.

"Call me crazy, but a small part of me still expects him to show up again," Hiyosu said, glancing sidelong at the surroundings through sad and hooded eyes.

"Mayuri-Sama is dead..." Nemu replied, softly. "Of that I am certain. He gave me instructions to enact Order Eighty Six... And all traces of him have disappeared from the sensing devices..."

"Well, what's left of them," Akon said, picking up a smashed piece of equipment.

"So what do we do now...?" asked another member of the Research and Development Institute.

"We try to rebuild it," Urahara said, answering the question and standing up. Removing his hat, he dusted off the rubble that clung to it. "It's all we can do... I was hoping that we could make a way of travelling to the Palace, but now I'm afraid that will have to be put on hold. As things stand now, there are several dangerous enemies still on the ground and if we have no way of monitoring them, it could get very dangerous for us."

"I should be able to help with that..." Nemu said, stepping towards Urahara. "Mayuri-Sama didn't want anyone looking at his research, but I know enough about the communal labs to rebuild Akon-San's equipment and the monitoring devices."

"Thank you," Urahara said, replacing his hat and gently putting his hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know this must be hard for you. None of us expected him to go; least of all me."

"He appeared increasingly distracted as of late," Nemu replied, casting her eyes to the side. "I think he saw this War as a great opportunity to gain research materials, to find new things to experiment on. And so he intentionally put himself in harms way... I feel like... It was inevitable that this happened."

"But it doesn't make it any easier, does it?" Urahara's voice took on a sympathetic tone to it.

Nemu hesitated for a moment and took a long intake of breath. "No..."

Akon walked up behind the black-haired Lieutenant and looked down at her. "Do you remember what I told you when you were small?" Nemu looked up at the horned man now stood beside her. "You're the Captain's masterpiece." He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly and exhaled slowly. "I know it's probably going to be difficult without him, but... Just you being here is like he's still with us. Because you're the culmination of all of his efforts. And the best thing you could do is carry on living and carry on advancing. Because I know that's what he would have wanted."

Nemu's face softened and for a brief second tears seemed to form in her eyes.

Urahara smiled, through the shadow thrown by his hat. "That was quite lovely..."

Akon merely shrugged. "It's the truth." He looked down at Nemu again. "He never said it, but I know he was proud of her."

The group took a moment of silence. A slight breeze blew past them all, catching their Shihakushos and lab coats and tugging against the fabric. In the distance, the sounds of battle were faintly heard.

"So..." Urahara said, breaking into a smirk. "Shall we all get started?"

The ten remaining members of the Twelfth Division all silently nodded.

* * *

_Everyone always thought of me as bad luck._

_I suppose that's where a lot of the avoidance stemmed from. No-one wanted to be near me because they were afraid that I would cause some kind of horrible disaster._

_My parents blamed me for their divorce._

_Whenever something bad would happen to people I knew, they would always blame me as well. Whether they actually believed it or not, I didn't know. Perhaps they only said it because everyone else did._

_Eventually, I just grew to accept it._

_I knew that I wasn't a bad person. They couldn't help what they all thought._

_So I became nice. As nice as I could possibly be. I saw it as a redeeming quality of mine. Manners cost nothing, and sometimes if I was pleasant enough, people would forgive me and respond in kind._

_It made me happy._

_I never set out with the intention of hurting anyone. The thought of intentionally causing misfortune or hurt always unsettled me._

_And so when I was drafted, I found it very difficult._

_I didn't want to hurt people._

_Everyone ended up thinking I was sadistic. They thought that I liked fighting and causing damage._

_That couldn't be further from the truth._

_Whenever I fought, I would aim to injure and incapacitate. Because what could be worse than ending someone's life?_

_Yes, it would hurt them momentarily._

_But in the end, I was saving them_

_At least, that's how I always saw it._

_It was the least a failure like me could do._

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki's motley crew sat inside the pillar currently rocketing through the air. As the structure continued to smash through the protective barriers between the ground and the Royal Palace, they discussed the possibilities of the battles ahead; forming strategies about how they would approach the enemy.

"What do you think is actually going on up there?" Ichigo asked, during a brief lull in conversation.

While the question was directed towards the group as a whole, it was Yoruichi who chose to answer him. "In a perfect world, the Zero Division would be winning..." she said.

"But realistically?" Chad persisted, peering from behind his curly dark fringe.

"Realistically, I wouldn't be surprised if the fight is even," Yoruichi continued. "I can imagine losses on both sides. Though..."

"Though what?" Ganju asked, despite his focus on directing the pillar.

Yoruichi glanced to the side and pulled a stern expression. "Though anything is possible... Especially if Nimaya is the one fighting them."

* * *

Ohetsu Nimaya readied himself to attack Yhwach.

He moved slowly; cautiously. Like a predator stalking its prey, he was hanging back and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Sayafushi was clasped in between his hands in a firm yet gentle grip. He handled the sword with great care and love; the kind only the man who forged it could give.

_Is he going to make the first move, or should I be the one to close the gap...?_ Nimaya thought to himself. _The only source of information I have on what his abilities could be, is from his fight with Genryusai a thousand years ago... I don't know what he's gonna do, but I can sure as hell bet this ain't a situation where I can one-shot the bastard. First I'm gonna have to injure him; get him weak. I'll hack off one of his arms. Yeah, seems like as good a place as any to start._

Before he could charge the Quincy King, however, Yhwach spoke. His voice was deep and commanding. "Joseph, how long do you plan on playing dead?"

Nimaya's face contorted in confusion.

"I believe you said that you were to be the one to fight him?" Yhwach continued, directing his comments at the man laying face down on the floor at least two dozen feet behind Nimaya.

Silence settled on the scene for several painful seconds-

Only to be interrupted by the sound of snoring.

"Nina," Yhwach said, glancing over his shoulder at the crimson haired girl. "Wake him up."

Picking up a chunk of wood that remained from when the pillar of light had smashed into the false vestibule road, Nina Redwing (The Blood) proceeded to throw the object at Joseph's downed form. It struck him against the head and bounced once.

Roused from his slumber, Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) slowly picked himself up. "Sorry, sorry..." he said, midway through rising. "I didn't mean to fall asleep; the floor was just so comfortable."

Turning back towards the Sternritter, Nimaya felt a wave of unease flood his body. "How are ya' still alive? I stabbed ya' through the jugular. You should be dead."

"Actually..." Joseph pointed at his neck. The stab wound was bleeding so little, that it almost wasn't even worth noting. "You missed. I was quite lucky, if I'm honest. The blade went through my neck and missed every single major vessel. Not to mention my windpipe."

Nimaya didn't understand. He was certain that he had stabbed him through the right spot. He'd been in enough battles, and knew enough about anatomy to know where the jugular vein was. Something wasn't right.

Bending down, Joseph picked up the Seeleschneider that he had dropped and re-activated the reishi stream. "I'm sorry for being rude and abandoning our fight like that," he continued. "I really intended to get back up after you stabbed me... But I just fell asleep." He laughed twice, his clear voice cutting through the air. "It's quite embarrassing."

"What's goin' on here?" Nimaya asked, lowering Sayafushi and holding it in his right hand. "I'm sure I stabbed ya' in the right spot."

"I don't usually like using my powers, when there are people other than the one I'm fighting around," the Sternritter began. "You see it doesn't just affect my opponent, but everyone around me. Really I'd- Wait." He stopped himself short and raised one hand. "I'm sorry, I had to check myself there for a second. I almost went off on a monologue and revealed my power to you. Wouldn't that have been silly?"

Suddenly running towards the Royal Guard, without warning, Joseph lifted the Seeleschneider and moved to slice him vertically down his left shoulder.

Nimaya dodged to the left.

_Wait, why did I do that?_

The glowing reishi blade ripped downwards and gouged through Nimaya's right shoulder and forearm.

Jumping back, he moved out of the Quincy's range.

_Why the hell did I dodge to the left?_ his mind asked. _In hindsight, it was obvious he was aiming for my left. But at the time... I misjudged it. I thought he was going for my right._

Still in front of Nimaya, Joseph's feet danced across the white wood. Rebounding back and forth, he maintained his rhythm through footwork; neither retreating or advancing.

Keeping his eyes on his opponent's feet, the Royal Guard quickly adjusted his stance. Shifting his grip on the hilt of Sayafushi, he made a point of gripping higher and leading with his uninjured left arm. Bending his arms ever so slightly, he moved his sword closer to his body, to effectively strike back against incoming strikes.

_Look closely, _he thought. _That must have been a feint before. Watch his feet. Ya' can't lie about what you're gonna do with ya' feet._

Joseph moved to attack.

_He's gonna attack from the right! At the pace he's goin', he'll come in fast. I'll step in an' throw his timin' off!_

Nimaya leapt forwards.

The glowing blue tip of the Seeleschneider ripped up his left shoulder, throwing an arc of blood into the air.

Joseph had moved a fraction of a second slower than Nimaya had predicted. The result of this was the Shinigami moving into the path of the Sternritter's strike, rather than stepping past the arch of his range.

Reflexively swinging his own blade upwards, Nimaya sliced cleanly through the silver shaft of the Quincy's weapon and back-stepped. As this occurred, the Sternritter was knicked across the bottom of the chin by the almost ludicrously sharp blade.

Ignoring the cut, Joseph quickly gave chase and dived forwards. Casting aside his broken Seeleschneider, he drew two more from his belt and slashed out at Nimaya.

Dodging the twin attacks, the Zero Division member struck out at the Quincy. However, much like he had before, he misjudged the angle and distance. His swing flew wide.

Seizing this opportunity, Joseph inverted one of the Seeleschneiders in his hand and sliced Nimaya up the inside of his left thigh. As the tendon was severed, his leg gave way and he fell to one knee.

The tip of Sayafushi plunged into the white wood of the false Vestibule Road as Nimaya instinctively put his weight onto it. Unimpeded by friction, due to its extremely sleek blade, it continued to sink until the guard slammed into the ground.

Utilising his impressive footwork, Joseph stepped around the Shinigami and swung his other reishi blade upwards, cutting cleanly through the bicep of Nimaya's sword arm.

Down an arm and a leg, Nimaya's right hand shot out. Injured as it was, from the earlier attack, he could still move it and that was enough to counterattack. Gripping the hilt of the failed Zanpakuto, he attempted to pull it from the ground.

The Schutzstaffel appeared behind the Royal Guard and plunged his Seeleschneider down towards the ground, cutting Nimaya across the inside joint of his right elbow.

His wrist went limp.

Watching the display, Yhwach directed Nina to heal the remaining Schutzstaffel, laying injured on the ground. "This is over... You can heal them now. They're injured but shouldn't be dead. They have suffered enough, for sufficient punishment. We will need them for the battles to come."

Running towards her injured fellow Sternritter, Nina passed by Joseph and the kneeling form of Nimaya.

"What the hell was that...?" Nimaya asked, looking up through his dark glasses at the white-clad man stood over him. "What did'ja do to me?"

"I didn't do anything," Joseph explained, pushing his glasses back up his nose and disengaging one of his Seeleschneiders. "This is your own doing."

"Quit talkin' in riddles," the Royal Guard said. "Ya' totally did somethin' to me!"

Joseph broke into a slight smile. His emeral green eyes shone pleasantly from his face.

"See," Nimaya grinned. "You're responsible fo' this."

"I might be," came the reply.

"Now that jus' underhanded," the Shinigami laughed, half under his breath. "Usin' dirty tricks like that."

"I didn't ask for my power," Joseph said in response. His voice held a slight air of regret behind it. "Though I must say, I'm not entirely to blame for your current predicament. If you hadn't made so many mistakes in our battle, this may have ended very differently."

Nimaya tutted and broke into a grin. "Tell me 'bout it, man."

"You're aware that I have to kill you now?" Joseph asked, slowly. He lowered his remaining Seeleschneider and held it beside Nimaya's face.

"I'd feel insulted if ya' didn't," the Soul Reaper replied.

"I don't want to do this," he reiterated.

"I know," Nimaya said, looking up at him. "Yer jus' doin' ya' job. No hard feelin's."

"Thanks."

"If it helps... You were a pretty strong guy. Ya' really gave me a run for my money. Even before ya' weird powers kicked in."

Joseph smiled again. "So were you. It was a pleasure fighting you."

Watching from the end of the true Vestibule Road, beside The Monk, Kirio Hikifune and Senjumaru Shuutara had already leapt towards the fray, to save Nimaya. By the time they touched down on the other side of the Cage of Life, however, they were too late.

In one swift movement, Joseph cut off Nimaya's head.

Thumping to the floor, it rolled before coming to a rest at the feet of a stunned Kirio.


	56. Of Monsters and Men

**Chapter 56: Of Monsters and Men**

As Nimaya's body dropped down into the growing pool of deep red blood, behind Joseph, Nina had finished replacing the felled Schutzstaffel's lost blood and healing their wounds.

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) and Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) rose unsteadily to their feet. Below them, Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) rolled to his side and returned to his cross-legged seated position.

Kirio Hikifune and Senjumaru Shuutara bore similar looks of shock plastered across their faces. They remained standing completely frozen, staring at Nimaya's head, at their feet.

"Do you see now?" Yhwach said, striding forwards and locking eyes with The Monk, through the wooden cage. "It is useless. Even your most powerful soldiers are at the mercy of my Sternritter." Not once breaking eye contact with the leader of the Royal Guard, he addressed one of his Schutzstaffel. "Haans... Use your Schrift to deal with this cage for me. I am about to show this old fool just how futile his struggling really is."

The chains and belts that gripped his body rattling as he walked, Haans distorted his blonde goatee with a bright smirk. "With pleasure!"

Lifting his arms over his head, the blonde man clenched his fists together. Responsing to this, four of the enormous tree trunks that formed the bars of the Cage of Life were crushed together, as if gripped by an enormous pair of hands. Stepping back, Haans pulled his balled fists downwards. Mimicking this movement, the tree branches were completely ripped apart, creating a huge hole in the structure.

Suddenly appearing in front of the Head of the Royal Guard, Yhwach stared down at the balding, bearded man. Behind him, his tattered black cloak billowed in the wind, throwing shadow across his white uniform that he wore underneath. Whipping around his face, Yhwach's thick black moustache and hair was also caught in the breeze.

"Now then..." he said, his deep voice booming into the open air. "Are you ready to surrender and let me pass, Hyousube Ichibei?"

Gripping the shaft of the large calligraphy brush laid across his lap, Ichibei slowly heaved his plump form up onto his feet. "If I were you..." he began. "I would not use my name so casually." Now stood up straight, his round eyes met Yhwach's own in a formidable stare. "After all, we wouldn't want you to lose your voice."

* * *

Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) was engulfed in a massive burst of black spiritual energy. Behind her the sun began to sink lower into the sky, throwing deep red light over the scene, like a veil of blood.

Kensei Muguruma and Sui-Feng felt their feet sink into the ground.

The weight of the Reiatsu pressing down on them from above was unlike anything they had ever felt before. It was so huge that they couldn't even register Zeit's enormous power, that had previously occupied the far reaches of their senses. It demanded nothing but their full attention.

If they didn't know any better, they would have said that it rivalled the now deceased Captain Commander, and even Aizen.

The sheer volume of power was so massive that it surbluffed meaning.

However, that wasn't all.

What was so terrifying about the power was how monstrously evil it felt. As if they were trapped inside the beating heart of the devil himself. It pulsed over them in throbs of concentrated malice.

Sui-Feng could practically taste sulphur.

"I really hate having to resort to this..." hissed a warped and contorted voice, from inside the black blaze of Reiatsu. "It's so disgusting, I can't even look at myself. I can't believe you've pushed me this far. You're going to pay. All of you. Every single last miserable one of you pieces of shit."

Roaring up into the air, the remaining wisps of the energy cleared off of the Sternritter's form.

Sajin Komamura stepped back, his face a mixture of horror and disgust.

Stood at the epicentre of the enormous Reiatsu was what could only be described as a terrifying creature.

All of Gabriele's skin had turned a translucent shade of of light blue, showcasing her bones and musculature. Coming into view, beneath her ribcage, the faint form of her heart could be seen furiously pumping away. Her long black nails had fused with her fingers, forming a set of serrated claw-like appendages. The muscles of her toned legs flexed and bulged, bursting from the thigh high black leather boots that she wore, leaving her completely naked. The cyan streams of blood that had previously formed her wings merged with Gabriele's body, rippling beneath her see-through skin. Snapping open, a mouth full of sharp canine teeth appeared just above her pubic bone. Appearing beneath each of her breasts, two similar jaws took shape.

However, by far the most horrifying part of Gabriele's new appearance was her head.

Her skull was elongated to accommodate a new second jaw on the nape of her neck, bearing two rows of sharp teeth, much like those of her regular mouth. The skin of her face, translucent blue like that covering the rest of her body, had been stretched tightly over her deformed skull and covered her eyes. Visible beneath the skin as two dead dark spots, her eyeballs moved rapidly, as if growing accustomed to a new form of vision.

Billowing from the top of her head, Gabriele's red and black hair fluttered upwards, like dark fire.

Fighting through his unease and horror at the situation, Komamura lunged towards the monstrous woman. Above him, his gigantic Bankai mimicked his movements perfectly.

A disgusting cracking sound filled the air. A pair of skeletal flesh covered wings rapidly sprouted from Gabriele's back.

Rocketing forward at such high speed that she completely vanished, Gabriele threw herself through the air at the giant. Ripping through the body of the behemoth, the sheer speed that she moved at completely obliterated the giant's torso.

As the damage was reflected from his Bankai onto him, Captain Komamura fell backwards, his chest erupting and crumbling as a hole opened up through him.

Suddenly appearing and landing on the ground, Gabriele's talloned feet carved deep trenches in the concrete. Dust and fragments of gravel whipped up around her in a thick cloud.

A hole was punched in the cloud as she vanished yet again.

Fear coursed through Kensei's body; the sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before. What saved him from being killed by the first strike was instinct; pure and simple.

As soon as the sensation of fear hit him, he had stepped backwards. Gabriele, who was in the process of charging him from the right, passed him by, leaving him unscathed.

His eyes opened wide in shock and the edge of his eyelid quivered. _Fast...!_

Hurriedly lifting his left hand in front of his face, he swiped it down and donned his Hollow Mask. His senses immediately kicking into overdrive, he managed to spot the Quincy woman crouched on the ground to his left.

Lurching towards Sui-Feng, stood several steps behind Kensei and to his left, Gabriele's two sets of jaws beneath her breasts vanished and appeared in the palms of her hands. Gleaming bright white, her teeth flashed in the light.

The Head of the Stealth Force saw the attack coming too late; not expecting the speed at which the Sternritter was moving.

A split second before Gabriele reached Sui-Feng, the knuckle-duster of Kensei's Bankai slammed into the side of her face. Blown sideways from the force of the resulting explosion, her head slammed into the ground, giving Sui-Feng enough time to retreat.

Unfortunately, the attack was nowhere near enough to do any significant damage to the Sternritter.

Lifting her head, Gabriele's dead black eyes, covered by the veil of translucent skin, blazed. The two rows of sharp teeth from her forward facing mouth shimmered.

A split second later, she was in Kensei's face. Even with his speed and senses enhanced by his Hollow Mask, he wasn't able to react in time.

Gabriele again thrust her arms forwards and gripped the Vizard Captain by the shoulders. The teeth protruding from her palms sunk into his flesh and soon, Kensei felt the blood being drained from his body.

All of a sudden, an enormous blade ripped down through the air and hacked off both of the woman's arms, at the elbow. Slamming into the ground, the metal implement reduced the concrete underfoot to rubble.

Kensei, almost half of his blood drained from his body, fell back as his Mask shattered.

Spontaneously growing a new pair of arms, Gabriele rounded on Komamura, now fully healed from her previous attack. "Why don't you just die already?!"

* * *

_"Come on," Gabriele said cooed playfully, leaning forwards and clasping her hands behind her back. Swaying from her chest, the valley of her breasts hung in the air._

_Eric Koertig (The Reaper) glared sidelong through the holes in his skull mask at the woman. Turning his attention back to the table in front of him, he moved one of the chess pieces atop the white and black board. He was playing against himself._

_"Stop ignoring me," she said, walking around the table and sitting opposite the young man. Batting her eyelids, she pursed her painted red lips together. "I can play with you, if that's what you want." Reaching out, she moved to grab one of the black pawns._

_"Please don't touch that," Eric said, interrupting her movement with a surprisingly stern edge to his voice._

_A sly smile plucked Gabriele's lips. "I won't touch it, if you listen to what I want."_

_"I could care less about what you want," the black-haired man replied, his eyes glowing coldly like blue ice. "How many times are you going to ask me?"_

_"As many times as I have to, until you do it."_

_Reaching across the table and absent-mindedly moving a black Knight, Eric looked away from the woman, into the distance. After several seconds, he let out a laboured sigh. "I keep telling you, I can't control which memories I take when I cut you."_

_Gabriele laughed, her red eyes twinkling. "So just take them all." She leaned across the table, closer to the man. "I don't mind getting cut that much." A sultry edge gripped her voice. "I might even enjoy it."_

_"No."_

_The red and black haired woman was almost bowled over by how sudden and serious his voice was. Her own voice took on a sharp edge. "Why not? Explain it to me."_

_"You clearly don't understand me at all," Eric replied. "I don't want to take anyone's memories. I hate doing it."_

_"I know that," Gabriele shot back. "I just don't care." She narrowed her blood red eyes. "If you could get rid of all of your painful memories, wouldn't you?"_

_"I would..." he said, softly._

_"Then why not mine?!" she suddenly screamed, slamming her fist down on the table. The chess pieces all shook, several of them falling over._

_Eric remained calm, reaching out and re-setting the pieces. He waited several moments before replying. "Because you're already too far gone."_

_"What?" Gabriele spat out, narrowing her eyes._

_"You've had some horrific things happen to you..." he continued. "But do you have any idea what it would do to you if I just started taking your memories? The trauma is still there, and you wouldn't know why. You wouldn't be able to process it, and it would drive you insane... Well... More insane than you are already."_

_"You dirty bastard..." she hissed._

_"You're already a monster," Eric said, not even looking at her as he spoke. He moved on of the white bishops across the board. "All I would do is turn you into even more of a monster."_

_"Monster?" Gabriele's voice grew louder and she rose to her feet. "How dare you call me that!"_

_Eric didn't so much as flinch. Even in spite of how terrifyingly powerful the woman in front of him was, and knowing full well how easily she could kill him, he maintained a calm air to his voice. "Take a good long look at yourself and tell me that you're not. I'm sure, once upon a time, you were a lovely person... You didn't deserve what happened to you. But now... Now you've done horrible things. I know it, the other Ritter's know it... And most importantly, you know it." He finally looked up at her. "And I don't want to be responsible for making you even worse than you already are."_

_Gabriele formed a small crucifix from ambient reishi and pointed it at her fellow Sternritter._

_Again, Eric remained stoic. "His Majesty hates infighting. By all means, shoot me. But do you really want his wrath coming down on you?"_

_Flipping the table out of spite, Gabriele scattered the chess pieces across the room and stormed out, slamming the door behind her._

_"That bastard..." she muttered under her breath. "I'm not a monster... I'm not a monster..."_

* * *

Gabriele gripped Komamura around the wrist of his sword arm before ripping the appendage completely off.

Retaliating with a punch from his left hand, the fist of Komamura's Bankai slammed into her side, sending her flying. The bones along her entire right side, visible beneath her translucent skin, were reduced to mulch by the sheer force of the strike.

She was still healing when she hit the ground; her regeneration lagging even more. Digging her clawed feet into the concrete, the talons on her toes ripped along the road. Flinging herself back at the Captain, her deformed skeletal wings beat from her back. A shockwave of air burst out behind her.

Komamura's arm had already reattached by the time she reached him, while her own was still mostly broken.

While her Vollständig Zweit Stufe was indisputably powerful, it was a constant drain on her Reiatsu. The result of this was a gradual slowing of her regenerative abilities.

Komamura struck out again at the woman with a straight left. Leaping over his Bankai's fist, Gabriele locked her legs around the behemoth's forearm, straddling the giant. As she did so, the set of jaws mounted on her pubic bone bit down.

Wincing in pain, Komamura swiped his sword over his own forearm. Mimicking the action, the giant that formed his Bankai bifurcated Gabriele at the waist.

"Stop it!" the horrifying Quincy screeched, from her five separate mouths. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

Furiously clawing out at the humanised Captain, with both her jaws as well as her nails, Gabriele continued to rip flesh from him. But all of it was to no avail, he just kept regenerating. And to add insult to injury, at a much faster speed than she herself was able.

The pair engaged in a brutal melee. Blood flew into the air, spattering in all directions, before being sucked back into the pair. Limbs were hacked off and reattached, bones were crushed before being re-set, joints were dislocated and popped back into place.

While Komamura was indisputably slower, when it came to his attacks, the faster rate of his healing set the two in an even match. For every three attacks he received, Komamura dealt his own devastating blow.

Gabriele suddenly struck out with her right hand and clawed the Captain across the face. The force behind the strike was so strong that it sent him flying through the air, ripping through at least a dozen buildings in the process.

Fishing himself out of a pile of rubble, Komamura moved to throw himself back at the Sternritter. Instead, he felt his legs unexpectedly lock up.

Falling to his knees, the Shinigami slammed his left hand into the ground in an attempt to steady himself. Behind him, his Bankai copied to motion before beginning to crumble.

_No! _his mind shouted, fear lancing through his body. _Not yet! Has the Human Metamorphasis Technique reached its limit already?!_

**Sajin...** a voice suddenly said, perforating every one of his senses. **Can you feel it? That emotion welling deep inside you? It is revenge.**

_No... Please no... Not yet! I still haven't fulfilled my purpose. I still haven't defeated her! I still haven't defeated Yhwach!_

**Do not despair Sajin,** the voice continued. **Soon your life as a human will end. You will become a beast of revenge... And I will live longer, sipping on that black resentment.**

Gabriele stopped her charge, as she spotted Komamura writhing in pain on the spot. Breaking into a wide smile, she slowly began to walk towards him.

Suddenly beginning to change, Komamura began to sprout hair over his entire body. The fingers on his hands fused together. His body began to take on a more distinctly lupine form.

**Thank you for doing this for me, Sajin,** the voice said, once more echoing through his mind.

"Grandfather!" Komamura cried out, as his face began to change. "Please, not now! Please!"

The booming voice stopped, ignoring any further protests from the Captain. Before long, all that remained of Komamura was a small brown dog, laying whimpering on the ground.

"Oh poor baby," Gabriele laughed, finally reaching the incapacitated former Shinigami. "Have you reached your limit already? What a shame."

Raising her left hand, Gabriele clicked her black talons together and broke into a sharp, toothy grin. The red light thrown aross her body by the setting sun slowly began to fade, to be replaced by violet shadow.

Swinging her arm downwards, she moved to finally kill the incapacitated Captain.

Her hand stopped midair.

A disgusting cracking sound echoed across the ruined surroundings. Gabriele doubled over in pain, gripping her sides with her black clawed fingers.

"W... What?!" she screamed, agony flooding her body and drowning her mind. "I can't have been using Zweit Stufe that long!"

Another crack burbled from the Quincy's body, causing her to again contort in pain. Retching in pain, Gabriele gritted her teeth. She felt as if her insides were being torn apart.

Her own Vollständig began to devour her.

Watching from a distance, Sui-Feng felt her blood freeze in her veins as Gabriele let out a chilling scream.

Before long, all of the moisture in the Sternritter's body had been drained, leaving her little more than a dried up husk.

As her Vollständig finally disengaged, she slowly began to lose her monstrous appearance until all that remained was the naked form of a woman laying on the ground.

Her once beautiful face was sunken and mottled. Utterly desiccated, her flaking and cracking skin was pulled taught over her skeleton. Gabriele now resembled a mummy more than a living human.

Heaving up and down, her rib cage strained against the confines of her shrunken skin.

A whisper of her voice could be heard, whimpering weakly from her throat.

Sui-Feng leapt towards the crippled Sternritter, touching down on the ground beside Gabriele's mangled body.

The only Captain not rendered unconscious in the battle with the Quincy, it was up to her to deal the finishing blow. Drawing her sealed Zanpakuto from behind her back, he glared down at Gabriele.

In one swift movement, Sui-Feng cut off her head.

"Freaking monster..."


	57. The Forever Man

**Chapter 57: The Forever Man**

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction) took note of the sudden spike in Gabriele's power, as he fought off the two Shinigami Lieutenants.

_What the hell is that...?_ he thought to himself. _Is that Gabriele? Where the hell did she get so much power from?_

A shot of yellow spiritual energy blazed towards his head. Dipping to the side, he narrowly dodged the Kido, before absorbing the reishi it was constructed from.

Retaliating, he continued his barrage of the Soul Reapers, with a thick swarm of arrows.

_They're still persisting with this futile attempt at an attack? Surely they realise that Kido is not the answer when it comes to defeating me. What are they planning?_

Narrowing his coal black eyes, Zeit ceased his attack to peer into the cloud of rising smoke that swathed the battlefield. On the horizon, the sun continued to sink, throwing everything into a warm red and pink glow.

Atop his head, the flame-like wisps of white and black hair billowed backwards. Taking a deep breath, he waited for a sign of his opponents.

All of a sudden, erupting from the dust cloud, Renji charged him. Rearing up his left arm, the gigantic red appendage of his Bankai readied itself to launch a punch at the Sternritter.

Zeit, still stood atop the same building, turned to the side. Dispersing his bows into glowing blue reishi fragments, he placed his left palm against the flat of the Bankai's arm as it passed him by. Throwing the timing of the attack off, he rolled along the length of the appendage and slammed his right elbow into Renji's sternum.

Flung backwards by the force, Renji felt several of his ribs break. Gagging, a mist of blood sprayed from his lips.

Continuing his rolling motion, Zeit summoned a single bow into his hands and discharged an arrow into Renji's stomach.

As the Lieutenant was blown away by the attack, Zeit felt his legs lock up beneath him. Ice spread up the sides of his boots, fixing his feet the the roof of the building.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zeit spotted Rukia Kuchiki. The tip of her blade was plunged into the ground, a trail of frozen earth extending from it along the ground and up the side of the building, towards Zeit.

"Juhaku!"

Ice shot up from the surface of the roof and drowned the young man's form.

The trap didn't last long. After several seconds, the pillar of ice shattered, scattering frozen shards about the area.

Having broken out of the ice, Zeit blocked a slash from Rukia's pure white sword with a newly formed reishi blade in his left hand. Summoning another into his free hand, he cut her across her left forearm. Feeling her left wrist go limp, Rukia's corresponding hand released the hilt of her Zanpakuto.

Jumping back, to gain some distance, Rukia flinched in pain.

Renji charged Zeit from the back, having recovered from the earlier attack, only to have the blade of his Bankai blocked by one of the Quincy's own weapons.

_No matter what you plan, it's useless... _Zeit thought, his eyes hooded with disinterest. _Sooner or later, your wounds will catch up with you. You're both half-dead as it is. All I need to do is bide my time. Then you'll both be dead._

As he continued to fight them off, he kept his senses tuned onto the horizon. Gabriele's massive power unnerved him. He wasn't used to anyone's Reiatsu being larger than his.

Even in the case of Kenpachi and The Knight, what gave them the advantage was their freakish physical strength.

Zeit had always been the most powerful.

Ever since he was a child.

* * *

**-Bavaria; 1568-**

Looming in the sky, the moon leaked a chilling light down upon the thatched rooftops of the skyline. Whispers of clouds swept by, carried on the wind and catching the milky light in an eerie glow. Oil lamps burned, flickering in the breeze and throwing a deep orange glow down upon the street. The smell of burning petrol hung in the air.

Midnight in Munich.

Footsteps perforated the night, clacking against the cobbled street.

The figure wore a heavy navy suit and white cravat. Perched atop his head was a matching soft hat and billowing from his back was a short, similarly coloured cape. In his hand he held a polished wooden cane. The white and orange light licked against the glossy surface.

Reaching a doorway midway down the road, he rapped on it several times with the handle of his walking stick.

A woman in a heavy gown and white bonnet opened the door and peered into the darkness.

"I'm here about the boy," the man said, his voice deliberately low.

Nodding, the woman led him inside and up a flight of stairs. Walking down a long corridor, they passed no less than a dozen rooms before reaching the last one.

Inside, sat at the foot of his bed, was a young boy.

His profile stood in contrast from the light of the moon, slipping into the room through the open window.

He was small for his age and bore a vacant expression; his black eyes still and emotionless. Flowing from the top of his head in gentle waves, his hair was pure white and flecked with three streaks of black.

"Zeit," the woman said, from the other side of the doorframe. "Someone's come to see you."

The boy didn't so much as twitch. He remained seated, staring off into space.

Stepping into the room, the man removed his hat. Curly grey hair tumbled into view before being pushed out of his face with a white-gloved hand.

"Good evening, my boy," he said, the starch that held his beard in its style crackling as he spoke. "Would you be offended if I asked for a moment of your time."

Zeit didn't reply.

Grasping a stool pushed into the corner of the room, the man set it down beside the boy's bed and sat. Placing his hat on his lap, he clasped his hands together.

"My name is Gillaume DaVinci," he said. "This woman tells me that your name is Zeit?"

Zeit blinked once.

A crushing force descended upon the room. So heavy and suffocating it felt as if an ocean had been crammed into the small space. The woman in the doorway fell to her knees and was driven down.

Even though he was expecting it, Gillaume felt himself shudder and lock up. Never before had he felt such a massive Reiatsu.

"You didn't fall over," Zeit said, still staring at the fixed point in front of him. "Everyone else does."

"I'm somewhat used to powers such as these," the older gentleman said, struggling to sound normal as he fought against the Reiatsu.

Trembling slightly, Gillaume reached into his pocket and pulled out a pendant on a chain, in the shape of a five-pointed star.

"Tell me," he said. "Do you know what this is?"

Zeit's eyes finally stopped staring into space and turned on the man sat facing him. Lingering on the shimmering silver symbol, his monochrome orbs betrayed nothing.

"No."

"This is a Quincy cross," Gillaume explained. "We use it to gather reishi to form weapons."

"What do you mean we?"

"We as in me, my associates... And you."

The statement piqued Zeit's interest. Turning towards the older man, he looked him up and down.

"Do you want me to teach you how to control your powers?" Gillaume asked, looking down at the boy and smiling warmly. "If you'd like I could enrol you in the Seiren tomorrow."

"Why would you do that?" the boy asked, knitting his brows together in the first show of emotion that Gillaume had seen.

"Because His Majesty sees great potential in you, young man," Gillaume said, leaning forwards as he felt the pressure on his shoulders subside.

Zeit lifted an eyebrow. "Who?"

"The Quincy Kaiser," the grey-haired man explained. "The sealed King of the Quincy shall regain his heartbeat after nine hundred years, his mind after ninety years, and his power after nine years." His brown eyes gleamed every so slightly. "Come with me and I shall take you to him."

Zeit remained perfectly calm. "Where is he?"

"He is in another world. He lies within the shadows, that conceal only the chosen. Within the Vandenreich... The Invisible Empire."

* * *

An enormous shard of ice shattered against the white ground as Snow (The Yuki-Oni) had one of his enormous ice wings, formed from the late Toshiro's Bankai, ripped from his back.

Even minus an arm and grievously injured, Kenpachi was still more than enough to fight off the Sternritter. He had since managed to close the distance on the young man; knocking aside and shrugging off the spiritual arrows in the progress. Now that he was within their range, the projectiles were all but useless, forcing his opponent to fight him in close-combat.

"San."

Springing up from his two-dimensional form, Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) appeared behind Kenpachi and stabbed him in the back.

Gritting his teeth, Kenpachi turned and slashed out at the Quincy. However, his sword found nothing but air as Basilisk again collapsed himself into the second dimension.

Distracted by the appearance of the other combatant, Kenpachi left himself open to an attack from Snow. Blood seeped from his freshly open wound before freezing and clinging to his chilling skin.

_Damn it, this is going nowhere fast! _Kenpachi thought, rounding back on the Quincy and shattering his ice blade. _When he cuts me it doesn't bleed much but these sneaky bastards keep going at me from both sides. Sooner or later it's going to catch up with me. Shit, I was already half dead when we started this!_

He took another swipe at the white-haired Sternritter, however his attack was swiftly dodged.

At the same time, Basilisk again appeared behind the Captain and plunged his blade into the man.

_If I could just kill one of them, I'd be fine!_

* * *

**-Silbern; 1575-**

Zeit walked through a narrow alleyway, snow crunching underfoot and his breath hanging in the air.

Clinging tightly to his form was the traditional white garb of the Quincy. Dangling from his wrist on a thin silver chain was the Cross given to him by Gillaume when they had first met.

"Well well well," came a voice from a deep alcove, set into the wall to Zeit's left. "Where might we be going?"

Steeped in shadow, a female figure shifted inside the darkness and chuckled. Stepping out into the light, Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) broke into a sickly sweet smile. Her pushed back hair was bright red and bore several flecks of black, matching her eerily glowing eyes. She wore a pure white catsuit, the neck open to reveal her cleavage, with a pair of thigh high leather boots.

"The Fünft Feld," Zeit replied simply, referring to the training ground in the World of the Living.

"Oh, still training to be a Sternritter, are we?" she chuckled, raising a single delicate eyebrow.

The young man offered no reply, staring her down with cold dark eyes.

"As the first one, let me give you a bit of advice," Gabriele said, in an almost mocking fashion, emphasising her status as the first to be chosen by His Majesty. "You need to have something special, something that defines you." She leant down, her face right in front of the teenager's own. "If I'm honest, you're just too boring to be one."

Zeit blinked.

Not expecting the sudden burst of Spiritual Pressure, and leaning over as she was, Gabriele was driven face first into the ground.

Ignoring her scream of frustration, Zeit stepped over her and continued on his way.

Lurching out, Gabriele grasped the young man around the ankle and hissed between her teeth. "Don't you ignore me, you little shit!"

Zeit pulled his foot from her grasp and increased the pressure of his power on her before walking away.

Growling through her gritted teeth, Gabriele's own Quincy Cross burst into a white light. Forming a bow into her hands, she launched an arrow at Zeit's back.

A deafening explosion shook the alleyway.

Stood between Zeit and Gabriele, a figure had appeared. He had slapped aside the arrow with one Blue-enhanced hand, causing it to explode against the wall beside him. The resulting blast had burned him across the right hand side of his face.

Gillaume narrowed his eyes, ignoring the damage to his face and peering past the blood.

"Miss Geschlechtliche," he said. "I expected more from you. You know how His Majesty hates infighting." Gillaume turned away from the woman and looked down at Zeit. "And it just so happens that he has called for our Young Master, here."

* * *

Spinning on the spot, Zeit deflected the two blades of the attacking Lieutenants that battled him. Fending off their attacks, he moved in a quick and precise fashion, dancing through a blaze of sparks. The soles of his boots dragged along the ground as his footwork began to speed up.

Throughout the fight he had been constantly adjusting his pace in order to throw his opponents off-time. By increasing and decreasing the speed and tempo of his attacks, he had managed to land numerous blows against his enemies due to them misjudging the timing of Zeit's attacks.

Whirling around, his two blades moved so fast that Rukia and Renji struggled to even catch glimpses of them. It was only through guessing and an inordinate amount of luck that they managed to block them, and avoid fatal strikes.

Zeit suddenly stomped down with his right foot. A short silver blade shot out of the tip of his boot and gleamed in the light.

Weaving through the oncoming attacks, the Quincy swung his leg up and kicked Rukia in the side. Blood soaked into her Shihakusho and slipped through her lips.

Gritting his teeth and opening his eyes wide in rage, Renji thrust the snake skull that adorned his right arm forwards.

Sidestepping, Zeit allowed the blade emerging from the tip of the skull to pass underneath his left arm. Swinging the blade in his left arm upwards, the Quincy elite sliced cleanly through the metal of Renji's Bankai.

Immediately afterwards, Zeit leapt back and slammed his right elbow into the bridge of Renji's nose. Blood poured down over his top lip and his eyes squinted in pain.

Having sufficiently stunned the red-haired Shinigami behind him, Zeit dashed forwards, towards Rukia.

Opening his eyes just in time to catch a glimpse of the Quincy, Renji screamed.

"RUKIA!"

Knocking aside Sode no Shirayuki with the sword in his right hand, Zeit stabbed her through the throat.

* * *

**-Silbern; 1587-**

Over ten years later, Zeit hadn't aged a day. Or rather, he hadn't allowed himself to.

The day of the fight with Gabriele, he had been made a Sternritter and had taken on the Schrift of "O": The Omni-Direction.

Gillaume stood next to him, at the foot of a gigantic domed palace, formed from ice. Above them the forever grey sky moved slowly.

"Impressive," Zeit said, looking over the structure slowly. Despite his youthful appearance, his voice sounded as if he were in his late twenties.

"Definitely my best work," Gillaume replied, his smile distorting the burn scar etched across the side of his face.

"When is the petrifaction going to start?" Zeit asked, jumping straight to the point.

"Never one to mince words, were you?" the older man said, a slight smirk plucking his mouth. "Even when you were a child."

The white-haired young man ignored the statement and asked another question. "Is Gabriele going to be frozen in time as well?"

"Yes," Gillaume replied. "While it's true that she can't die of old age, like the rest of us, His Majesty doesn't trust her running around loose." He turned towards his Junior and looked down at him. "You're the only one being left awake."

"To search for new additions to the Sternritter," he completed, narrowing his brows.

"Remember," Gillaume said, his voice bearing an edge of warning to it. "No matter how much you want to, do not interfere with anything. Even if the Shinigami start to kill Quincy en masse."

"I know," Zeit replied. "I'm not so rash that I'd expose myself over something like that."

"That's why you were chosen," Gillaume said, his tone comforting.

"Nothing to do with not being able to age or die, then?" the young man asked, ever so slightly amused.

"Well that may have been a contributing factor," the elderly man replied.

"I'm actually quite looking forward to it," Zeit said, smiling for the first time since Gillaume had met him.

"Hm? Why is that?"

"I get to do anything I could possibly want to do, and see the world grow." He reached up and swept one hand back through his white and black hair. "Not to mention... I can train and get even stronger."

"You're already strong as it is," Gillaume said. "I've never seen anything like it. I know at the moment all you have to compete with are myself and Miss Geschlechtliche, but I don't believe that any of the remaining 23 that you find could even come close to you."

* * *

Kenpachi continued to fight off his enemies on two fronts. Wounds opened up all over his body and what little blood remained in his system slipped down over his skin before freezing solid, sealing the wounds.

_Nothing I do is working... I've lost too much blood. Why can't they just come at me one after the other? Fight fair dammit! I just want to carve some meat and this is going nowhere fast! I could use Nozarashi but... No. At this point it's not an option. My body couldn't handle it. If I were to use him, it could damn near kill me. What good would that be? Dying because I was too stupid, and not because my opponent was even that strong. That'd be fuckin' disappointing._

Stepping forward to launch another attack, Kenpachi's foot made contact with a slick layer of ice; newly formed across the ground.

Losing his footing, he fell backwards.

As soon as his back made contact with the ice beneath him, several Heilig Pfeil shot down towards him and pinned his one remaining arm to the floor. Immediately following this a dense wave of ice crashed over him, further restraining the Shinigami Captain.

"San."

Again, Basilisk appeared in the third dimension. Stood over Kenpachi, he held a long spear, formed from ambient reishi, in his hands. Thrusting out, he aimed the strike at the Shinigami's head.

Leaping out of the sky, Yachiru Kusajishi appeared, sword raised.

"Sanpo Kenjū!"

Manifesting in front and behind the small pink-haired girl, two large creatures appeared.

Basilisk's normally emotionless blue eyes snapped open in an un-characteristic expression of shock. Dropping the spear and rapidly lifting two fingers, he hurriedly blurted out: "Ni!"

Too late did the Sternritter react. Even as he was in the process of falling backwards to flatten into the second dimension, the foremost blade of Yachiru's Shikai sunk into him. Sliced completely in half, he could see his two raised fingers falling in front of his face, severed as a result of the attack.

Blood flowed out of his nose and mouth and dripped over the stylised number 3 tattooed onto his left cheek.

As he landed on the ground, he began to cough and splutter. A bloody mist sprayed up in front of his face, clouding his eyes.

Just as his eyes began to lose their light, he began to weakly lift his still attached and unharmed right hand. Four of his fingers came into view.

"S... S-S... Shi!"


	58. Out of Time

**Chapter 58: Out of Time**

Gripping the shaft of the large calligraphy brush laid across his lap, Ichibei slowly heaved his plump form up onto his feet. "If I were you..." he began. "I would not use my name so casually." Now stood up straight, his round eyes met Yhwach's own in a formidable stare. "After all, we wouldn't want you to lose your voice."

* * *

Sui-Feng leapt towards the crippled Sternritter, touching down on the ground beside Gabriele's mangled body.

The only Captain not rendered unconscious in the battle with the Quincy, it was up to her to deal the finishing blow. Drawing her sealed Zanpakuto from behind her back, she glared down at Gabriele.

In one swift movement, Sui-Feng cut off her head.

"Freaking monster..."

* * *

The group took a moment of silence. A slight breeze blew past them all, catching their Shihakushos and lab coats and tugging against the fabric. In the distance, the sounds of battle were faintly heard.

"So..." Urahara said, breaking into a smirk. "Shall we all get started?"

The ten remaining members of the Twelfth Division all silently nodded.

* * *

At that exact moment, everyone both in and outside of the Silbern was overcome with a sense of déjà vu.

All over every conceivable plane of existence, everyone took a brief moment to compose themselves.

Very few individuals realised just what had occurred.

Time had been rewound by exactly four seconds.

The reason behind such a phenomenon occurring lay within the powers of a particular Sternritter.

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension).

As had already been demonstrated by the Sternritter, the first dimension is a fixed point in space. To that end, a straight single line could be considered a physical representation of said dimension. Through manipulation of the first dimension, Basilisk is able to instantly transport matter to any coordinate of his choosing.

The second dimension is a planar projection of the physical universe. A perfectly flat spacial territory consisting only of width and length, unaffected by anything from the third dimension. By transferring his own body into said dimension, Basilisk is able to remove himself from harm and travel great distances un-impeded and almost unnoticed.

All known matter exists inside the three dimensional universe. As such, the third dimension could be considered the default space which Basilisk occupies. While it is possible for him to survive indefinitely inside the second dimension, the only way in which he is able to interact with physical matter is to be in the same dimensional state.

Many of Basilisk's fellows believed that this is where his powers ended.

However, what they failed to realise is that there is a fourth category of geometric space.

While the first dimension can by symbolised by a line, the second can be illustrated with a square. Similarly, an example of the third dimension would be a cube.

The final, fourth dimension is typically illustrated by a very peculiar structure.

A tesseract.

By manipulating said dimension, what Basilisk was infact controlling...

Was Time.

While it drained much of his energy to do so, to the point that he could only utilise the ability once every few weeks, Basilisk was able to manipulate the fourth dimension to rewind time, for a maximum of four seconds.

So draining were the effects of this technique that Basilisk only allowed himself to use it in a situation where he was certain that he was going to die.

The fact that the limit is such a short amount of time may lead some to question the effectiveness of this ability. However, in the midst of battle, four seconds is more than enough to make a difference.

* * *

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension), fired several arrows into Kenpachi Zaraki's left arm, pinning him in place. Responding to the restraint, Snow (The Yuki-Oni) covered the incapacitated Captain's body in a dense sheet of ice.

A wave of unease ripped through the D-position Sternritter's body. Suddenly shuddering, Basilisk realised that he had rewound time.

Abandoning his idea of attacking the restrained Captain, he hurriedly lifted two fingers and shouted: "Nii!"

Slamming back into the ground, his pre-emptive actions allowed him to avoid Yachiru's fatal attack. The image of the three separate swords of her Shikai tearing through the now empty space over him was reflected in his sky blue eyes.

His typically emotionless face broke into a brief expression of relief.

_I could have died there.._. he thought, his inner voice bearing a slight edge of shock to it. _I had no idea that her Zanpakuto had a power like that. I need to be careful using my abilities now. Too soon or too late and she could cut me clean in half. Come to think of it, she probably already has. This fatigue I'm suddenly feeling... I definitely had to alter the Fourth Dimension. I need to be careful now. There's no way for me to escape death again._

Sliding along the ground, Basilisk retreated away from the fray and slipped into the cracks of a nearby buildings, leaving Snow to engage Yachiru as Kenpachu attempted to break free from the restraints that bound him.

_Forgive me, my comrades,_ Basilisk mused. _I do not know how many of you fell, following my resetting of the passage of time, but I do know that I cannot allow myself to die here. Snow, hold them off for as long as you can... I have a plan._

Snow barely had time to react to Yachiru's multiple Shikai strikes, as he noticed Basilisk's form slither away into the shadows. Luckily choosing to duck under the blades, rather than leap backwards, he dodged the slashes and rushed the pink haired Lieutenant.

Moving inside of Yachiru's attack range, the womanly beautiful man stabbed his ice sword upwards in a quick, sharp movement. Tilting her head to the side, the young Shinigami narrowly avoided being stabbed in the face.

An echoing crack split through the air as Kenpachi broke free from the ice and wrenched his pinned arm upwards. The chipped blade of his Zanpakuto ripped upwards and tore into the ice wing mounted on Snow's back.

Jumping back, from his crouching position, Snow swung his crystalline sword in a wide arc, firing out a vast array of small ice shards. "Guncho Tsurara!"

One of the dagger-like projectiles sliced across Yachiru's cheek, opening a small cut, however she was left otherwise unharmed; Kenpachi taking the main brunt of the attack. Plunging into the flesh of the Captain, the attack unfortunately did little to deter his counterattack.

Quietly cursing his vacant comrade under his breath, Snow continued on his retreat backwards, all the while continuing to fire projectiles at the Shinigami Officers.

_Damn you Basilisk. In what world did you even consider that I could take these two on my own. You cowardly piece of-_

His train of thought was suddenly cut off as Kenpachi lunged towards him and aimed a slash at his head. Ducking down again, Snow's ponytail was caught in the swing of the attack and was swiftly cut midway along its length.

A pair of horns suddenly sprouted from Snow's head. Whipping through the area, a blizzard of pure white snow was suddenly whipped up, obscuring his form from Kenpachi's eyes. Dashing to the side, he retreated further into the storm.

_I'm lucky my Schrift's main strength is allowing me to hide. This guy's Reikaku is weak; he's used to using his eyes. At least that's working in my favour. If Basilisk hadn't run off, we could have continued to chip away at him... But as it stands now... My stamina isn't amazing. There's no way I could play the long game on my own._

The Shinigami Captain gave chase, jumping at the Quincy through the snow.

Still facing the Soul Reaper, as he retreated, Snow thrust out his glass-like sword and stabbed Kenpachi in the right shoulder. "Ryūsenka!"

Ice erupted from his sword and encased the limb-less bare joint of the Captain's shoulder. Blown back by the sudden force of the attack, Kenpachi's feet dragged against the ground before he was able to gain traction. Ignoring the chilling ice and the resulting frostbite, he threw himself at his enemy and took a wide swing with the Zanpakuto in his left hand.

Curling his dragon-like ice wings around his body, Snow was just barely able to defend himself against the attack. The chipped blade sawed through the frozen liquid, slowing for a brief instant and providing the Sternritter with just enough of an opening to again run away.

A single pale eye, like a chip of dirty ice, flicked to the side and peered through the blizzard. As his Schrift allowed him to see through the weather that he was able to generate, Snow spotted Yachiru hanging back on the edge of the battlefield.

_She's hanging back..._ Snow thought. _She must have only jumped into the fray before because it seemed like the Captain was going to lose. Still... He's more than a match for me on his own. Even half dead as he is. Damn it, if only Zeit were here. Come on Aya, where are you? You must have found him by now!_

Kenpachi again appeared in front of the white haired Quincy, brandishing his blade. His hair was frosted over, ice clinging to it and spreading down over his face. The blood of his numerous wounds had frozen against his skin, clinging to it in red crystals.

Snow felt his entire body shudder.

The wings that adorned his back were still damaged from the previous attack, leaving him no means to actively defend himself. The ice that formed his sword was so thin that it would have undoubtedly been shattered by the Shinigami's attack.

Plunging into the top of Snow's right shoulder, Kenpachi's blade ripped downwards, tearing off his right arm and severing his leg across the width of his thigh.

Blood slipped out of the corner of his mouth and spattered down onto the blue lapel of his Vandenreich jacket. Set into his pale pupils, Snow's pupils dilated.

Kenpachi broke into a wide grin.

All of a sudden, however, Snow's injured form began to slowly melt; his features drooping and dripping down his face.

"Zanhyō Ningyō."

Snow touched down on the roof of an overlooking building; his now shorter ponytail catching in the wind that billowed past him. His visage flickered in and out of view as the snowstorm continued to rage.

"You can thank the late Captain Ten for that one," Snow said, attempting to buy himself time to catch his breath through conversation. "His Bankai has more than a few trump cards hidden away." He narrowed his eyes, as Kenpachi turned towards the source of his voice. "Though I doubt I'd be able to fool you with that a second time."

"How about ya' stop running around and fight me like a man!" Kenpachi shouted up at him. "That way ya' wouldn't have to use up all your tricks!"

Snow broke into a beautiful, charming smile; flecked with traces of strain. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Me getting in close so you could cut me in half, without much effort."

"I just want a good fight."

"Well that's all well and good," Snow replied. "But personally I just want to live."

The Captain grinned. "You never know. If you fight me properly, you might just manage to beat me."

"I highly doubt that."

Kenpachi smirked and prepared himself to charge the Sternritter again.

"San!"

Suddenly swinging up into the third dimension, immediately behind Kenpachi, an enormous white ball of reishi took shape. Throwing out a blinding glare onto the Captain, the sphere rapidly began to expand. Stood beside it, his hand resting on the structure, Basilisk's back bore a pair of large white wings. Over his head, a halo of indeterminable shape moved about itself.

Releasing the orb, Basilisk rapidly dropped one of his fingers. "Nii!"

Collapsing back into the ground, his winged form was etched into the pavement. For the first time ever, Snow saw him smile.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Snow screamed.

It had suddenly dawned on him just what Basilisk had been planning. He had used his Vollständig to absorb an insurmountable amount of reishi and form it into an enormous bomb, and then used his powers to safely plant it next to the Captain. However, the only problem with is was that, even if Basilisk himself would remain unharmed, Snow would have almost certainly been caught in the blast.

The glowing white ball burst with a deafening explosion.

* * *

Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) didn't even notice that time had been rewound. She simply continued to sob into the snow. The tears froze against her cheeks, turning them red and stinging them sharply.

As the cold set in, she began to tremble and her teeth started to chatter together.

The death of The Knight had finally caught up to her, shaking her mental faculties and draining her of any fighting spirit she had left in her. She couldn't even bring herself to simply rise to her feet. She didn't have it in her to find Zeit; to throw herself into another battle.

Baring her teeth, she let out a silent wail, her bottom lip quivering.

Aya didn't know how to cope with loss. She had only ever lost one person before in her entire life, and even then she was still not completely over it. She still had nightmares about it.

Knight had helped her cope with it. He had helped her to get her feelings out and talk with him.

And now he was gone. The one person she was able to connect with.

"This is too much..." Aya whispered through her sobs. "I can't do this anymore... Please... Someone, please... Help me. I can't... I can't deal with this..."

* * *

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction), unlike almost all of his fellows, recognised the disturbance in the flow of time. Existing in a state outside of the usual passage of time, due to the unique power of his Schrift, Zeit was able to figure out that Basilisk had altered the fourth dimension, in order to save himself.

Undeterred by the replaying of events, Zeit acted on his memory of the situation and made a point of replicating the same events, so that he could succeed in killing the Squad Thirteen Lieutenant.

Gritting his teeth and opening his eyes wide in rage, Renji thrust the snake skull that adorned his right arm forwards.

Sidestepping, Zeit allowed the blade emerging from the tip of the skull to pass underneath his left arm. Swinging the blade in his left hand upwards, the Quincy elite sliced cleanly through the metal of Renji's Bankai.

Immediately afterwards, Zeit leapt back and slammed his right elbow into the bridge of Renji's nose. Blood poured down over his top lip and his eyes squinted in pain.

Having stunned the red-haired Shinigami behind him, Zeit dashed forwards, towards Rukia.

However, what Zeit failed to realise was that the force he used to crush the red-headed Shinigami's nose was far less than it had been in the original iteration of the events.

Recovering far quicker that he had done previously, Renji opened his eyes and screamed out Rukia's name. Lurching forwards, his fingers touched the back of Zeit's red and grey poncho, winding through the fabric and securing a tight grip.

Jerked backwards by the force of Renji's restraint, Zeit opened his jet black eyes wide. He did not expect such a fast retaliation. The events were playing out different from what he remembered; a fact that both unsettled and stunned him.

Flipping the sword in his left hand into an inverse position, Zeit kicked off from the ground and jumped backwards, towards Renji. Lifting the blade, he plunged it into Renji's chest, skewering him through the heart.

Rapidly spinning on the ball of his left foot, he pulled out the blade and cut Renji down his front, with the white reishi sword in his opposite hand.

Despite the change in events, Zeit had still managed to kill one of the Lieutenants. And arguably the most troublesome of the two at that. He was now even more confident in his victory.

Beginning to turn, so that he could finish off Rukia and end the battle, a strange sensation suddenly washed over Zeit. It emanated from his mid-section and was spreading fast throughout his whole body.

He felt...

Cold.

His eyes shot downwards, eventually stopping when they placed a pure white blade embedded in his back; the bloodstained tip protruding from the front of his abdomen. Freezing around both the entry and exit wounds, chunks of ice locked the blade in place.

Attempting to step away and wrench the sword from his body, Zeit moved in a jerking fashion. It did little good. The numbness being spread from the overwhelming cold had already reached his legs, which had started to grow stiff and cramp.

Blood slipped from his mouth before freezing against his chin.

He had been careless.

So stunned was he by the different turn of events, Zeit had focussed all of his attention on dispatching Renji and had left his back open.

Attempting a slash at the Rukia, Zeit fought through the numbness in his arms. It proved ultimately futile. His movements had slowed too much; his reactions sluggish.

Giving in to his last resort, Zeit threw himself backwards in time.

Blood flowed out of his nose, mouth, eyes and ears. He could feel the rush of blood roaring through his skull, straining his brain.

The bite of cold that gripped his limbs regressed into his body, the feeling of numbness quickly fading.

He tried to move again.

However, he found himself impeded.

While the effects of Rukia's Zanpakuto on his body had been made so that they never happened, her sword was still firmly planted in Zeit, fixed in place with large chunks of ice at both the tip and the hilt ends.

"You're not going anywhere...!" Rukia ground out, through gritted teeth.

Again the overwhelming freezing feeling shocked throughout the Sternritter's body; this time much faster than before.

Zeit again swung one of his swords at the girl, his less frozen muscles moving faster than before. He managed to cut her across the neck, however far too shallow to his any major arteries. Blood spurted out of Rukia's throat and splashed onto his face.

Rukia gasped, yet still maintained her grip on the hilt of Sode no Shirayuki. All of a sudden, her blood froze in the vessels, stopping the bleeding.

"The true power of my Zanpakuto..." she said, weakly. "Is to bring my body temperature to that of below freezing... The sword is just used to extend my reach... And right now... Your body temperature is dropping along with mine."

Zeit began to panic. If the cold managed to reach his brain, there was no force alive that would be able to save him. His powers relied solely on his mental faculties; if his brain was damaged, there was no way that he would be able to move through his timeline to save himself.

Hurriedly activating Blut Vene, he protected his blood from freezing.

If he was able to stop the spread of cold through his bloodstream, then it wouldn't be able to reach his brain.

Digging his feet into the ground, Zeit again tried to break away from the sword trapping him. The ice cracked slightly, but did little else.

Still the coldness was spreading.

"It seems you're misunderstanding something..." Rukia said, slightly pained. "'Cold' isn't the same as heat. Heat is a form of energy that is able to spread and transfer. Cold, on the other hand, is the phenomenon that arises when heat is being used up... What you're feeling right now, is all of the heat from your body being drained away as it rushes towards my sword. Protecting your blood is smart, but won't stop it completely. The human body is composed of sixty percent water...And water is an amazing conductor of thermal energy."

Zeit began to grow more and more distressed, desperately trying to break free, but finding his feet frozen to the floor.

"Damn you, you brat!" his ancient voice screamed.

"Right now, my body temperature is heading towards absolute zero..." Rukia continued. "I'm the only one that can survive at temperatures that low..."

"Let me go, you bitch!"

"You killed Renji..." she said, her voice heavy and her words like lead. "So you're going to freeze slowly..."


	59. Sorry I Am Strong 2

**Chapter 59: Sorry I Am Strong 2 \- [A Crushing Blow]**

Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction), one of the seven strongest Quincy soldiers, and bearer of the largest Reiatsu in the Vandenreich Army, was stood shock still. Even the wind that billowed past failed to even move his hair. From head to toe, his body bore a pure white liquid sheen, like glacial ice.

A crack split open on his cheek, spreading across his face and eventually beginning to spiderweb. As his cheek cracked and fell away, a single coal black eye dropped from its socket and fell, shattering against the frozen ground.

Still planted in his back, and fixed in place with large shards of ice, the bloodstained tip of Sode no Shirayuki jutted out of his chest into the open air.

Releasing the hilt and leaving her Zanpakuto embedded in the now dead Sternritter, Rukia began to make her way towards Renji's body.

Her movements were slow and sluggish. She had already lost far too much blood in their fight. The stab wound at her side and the slash across her neck may have been frozen over, but at the temperature of absolute zero, she couldn't survive for more than a minute. She needed to thaw herself, and when that happened, she would continue to bleed out.

A chip split across the skin of her hand. She was thawing too quickly.

_No... Stay calm..._ Rukia urged herself. _Take it slow. I can't... I can't let myself die here... I need to get help. Please. Please, Renji. Please don't be dead..._

Renji lay face down in the snow, bleeding out into the surroundings. His Bankai had already faded and formed back into the shape of his sealed Zanpakuto.

The disappearance of a Bankai against ones will means that the wielder is close to death. Every Shinigami knew that much.

Falling to her knees in the pink-stained snow, Rukia desperately pawed at the material of her friend's Shihakusho, in an attempt to roll him onto his back. Tears streamed from her corners of her eyes, freezing solid against her chilling skin.

"Please don't be dead!" she screamed, pulling with all her might and finally managing to turn him.

Staring vacantly up at the sky, Renji's pupils were clouded and murky. Blood was smeared across his face, continuing to pour from his mouth and nose and pooling in the hollow of his throat.

Beginning to shake him, Rukia screamed desperately. Soon, however, she lost strength in her arms. Collapsing onto his chest, the female Shinigami sobbed into her friend's blood-soaked uniform.

**Th-thump...**

Her deep dark eyes opening wide, Rukia stopped crying.

She could hear something. It was faint, but there was definitely something there. Like the distant fluttering of a bird's wings.

Fumbling with her chipped and cracked hands, Rukia rose to her knees and placed her frozen palms against Renji's chest.

_His heart... It's still beating..._

Unfortunately, the slow pulse of the organ was fading fast. Growing more and distant, the longer she sat there.

"No! I'm not letting you die!"

Pale light began to flicker from the female Lieutenant's hands.

"After our friends all died... After we joined the Soul Reaper Academy... You promised me... You promised me you wouldn't die!" Gritting her teeth, she began to pour what little energy she had left into the healing Kido. "Don't you dare, Renji... Don't you dare break that promise! I'm getting you back, even if I have to drag you back myself!"

Pale light flashed up into the sky.

* * *

As Yhwach continued to stare down the Head of the Royal Guard, Kirio Hikifune and Senjumaru Shuutara prepared to engage the Schutzstaffel in combat.

Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) leapt out of the duo's range and disengaged his Seeleschneider. He didn't want to rush them, with little to no knowledge about their abilities. They were not like Nimaya, who's style of combat was grounded in the physical aspects. He knew that he would have to hang back and watch them.

Without warning, Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) charged at the two women. His eyes were wide with excitement, forming close to perfect rings around his irises. Set into his face, his mouth twisted into a bright white smile.

"Wait, you fool!" Joseph shouted, as Haans dashed past him.

As Haans moved within ten feet of the two female Shinigami, the wooden platform beneath his feet burst open. Tendrils of wood, like enormous roots of trees, erupted from the false vestibule road and wrapped around the crazed Quincy, binding him tightly.

"You may have used your powers to rip apart the Cage of Life from a distance," Kirio began, her squinted eyes peering out of her rotund face. "But how will you fare while in direct contact? With your power being sapped away?"

As he watched the display, Joseph sighed and held his face in one hand.

Still grinning from ear to ear, the blonde-haired Quincy took his time to examine his prison. His head jerked from side to side as he twisted it about the joint of his neck, in order to get a good look at everything.

Once he was done observing his prison, Haans looked Kirio dead in the eye. "Cosy."

"I'm glad," she replied. "Though you're not going to be spending much time there. In two minutes, all of your Reiatsu will be drained from your body, to give sustenance to the Tree of Life."

"That a fact?"

"Hm," Kirio mused. "It appears you do not realise just how dire the situation is that you are in. You're clearly completely mad."

"You're flattering me," Haans chuckled, cocking his head to the side and narrowing his eyes.

Looking up from his seated position on the floor, Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) lowered one eyebrow and addressed Joseph. "Do you want me to go and help him?"

"No," the bespectacled Quincy replied, bluntly. "Right now that will be the worst thing you could do. Let's leave this to play out. I don't want you getting caught up in any of this."

"A wise strategy," Shuutara said, interrupting the pair's conversation. "The more Reiatsu the Tree of Life absorbs, the more unruly and unpredictable it grows. As things stand now, even I'm not sure if Kirio will be able to control it."

A deafening explosion shook the area. The gathered combatants, save from Haans, all turned their attention towards the true Vestibule Road. An enormous ethereal arm had manifested midair, catapulting Yhwach through the expansive blue sky.

"It appears that The Monk is fighting seriously as well," Shuutara commented, still watching the spec of Yhwach's body recede into the distance.

"Shouldn't ya' be keepin' your eyes on me?!" suddenly shouted the crazed voice of Haans.

The two members of the Royal Guard turned back towards the Sternritter with expressions of abject shock plastered across their faces. An ear splitting crack tore across the environment as the wooden prison that was wrapped around Haans was ripped apart. Wooden splinters and thick limbs of the tree flew through the air, fragmenting as they fell to the ground.

Stepping out of the ruined trap and down onto the white wooden boards, the blonde Sternritter began to chuckle under his breath. His goatee distorted around his wide smile.

"How...?" Kirio gasped, her large form taking a step away from the Quincy soldier. "How did you manage to break the tree?"

"My powers don't need my Reiatsu to work," he replied. "I'm the Psycho-Path. My abilities are fuelled by the power of my mind. Too bad for you."

Lifting one hand, Haans made a grabbing motion towards his opponents. Prompted by this action, Kirio was lifted into the air by an invisible force.

Twisting his mouth into yet another sickening grin, the Quincy soldier prepared to tear her limb-from-limb.

His attack was interrupted by several swords all heading towards him at once. As his conversation was broken and he dodged the assault, Kirio was dropped back onto the fake Vestibule Road.

As her soldiers engaged the Sternritter, Shuutara narrowed her eyes to observe his movements. She was beginning to formulate a plan.

Blood flew through the air in waves, staining the wooden planks and broken shards of Kirio's tree. While the efforts of Shuutara's legion of warriors was valiant, they did little to deter the Quincy's advance. Indiscriminately, he used his powers to rip their bodies apart and fling them screaming out into the open air.

Onmar watched the display, half horrified at the brutality of his comrade. He had never seen anything like it before.

This was a man with a talent for violence.

One of the black clad soldiers made a dash for Haans, while he was preoccupied with dismembering another of the legion. Slashing out with his blade, he aimed for the Quincy's head.

Noticing the individual out of the corner of his eye, Haans turned towards him and opened his mouth. Catching the blade between his teeth, his sky blue eyes sparkled with madness.

The soldier at the other end of the blade trembled as he realised what was about to happen.

Torn completely in half, his two pieces were thrown off of the edge of the false Vestibule Road.

"Such mindless bloodshed," Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) commented, its expression flat and unmoving. Eyes like clear flat marble stared emotionless from its face.

As he heard his fellow speak, through the screams of his victims, Haans began to laugh hysterically. "Mindless? Oh I've got plenty of mind!" He pulled the leg off of one of Shuutara's foot soldiers and threw the limb over his shoulder. "And I'm giving all of them a piece of it! Share and share alike, and all that jazz!"

Another explosion shook the air as the battle between Yhwach and Ichibei continued in the distance.

Nina Redwing (The Blood) and Uryu Ishida tuned their eyes to focus on the clash, all but ignoring the slaughter perpetuated by Haans. They knew where the real fight was being decided. Whether they won or lose depended entirely on if Yhwach was able to defeat Hyousube Ichibei.

After little more than two minutes, Haans has already dispatched the entire team of enemy foot soldiers. Limbs and other appendages lay scattered around him. His white and blue uniform had been spattered with streaks of blood, his skin glistening with red rivulets. Reaching up with one hand, he smeared the blood across his face, in order to clear it out of his eyes. Drops of blood clung to the hairs of his blonde goatee and several of the loose strands of hair that fell in front of his face.

Turning his attention towards the two Royal Guards, his right eye and the accompanying tattoo beneath it twitched. "Next!"

Shuutara eyed the Sternritter curiously before twisting her painted lips into a subtle smile. "You know... Has anyone ever told you that you talk to much?"

Haans scoffed. "Ha! Is that a fact?"

"It's a very bad habit. One that I feel you would do best to rectify."

"You know..." Haans took a step towards the Royal Guards, his combat boots splashing in the bloody puddles underfoot. "You're so serious. You're trapped is what you are." He tapped the side of his temple with a single red-stained finger. "That little voice in your head that tells you not to do things? It's locking you down. Trapping you in sanity." Grinning broadly, his eyes sparkled. "You should be more like me."

"See," Shuutara smiled. "Bad habits."

There was a sound like the rapid drawing of thread through fabric. Etched onto the back of Haans' White Sternritter jacket was the black diamond symbol of the Zero Division.

"While you were talking, I had enough time to modify your outfit." Her eyelids lowered and she stared coyly at the Schutzstaffel. "Though, while we're on the subject... I also have a bad habit. You see... I sometimes forget to remove the pins, once I've finished sewing."

A flash of light split through the air. The sound of tearing cloth filled the ears of the onlookers.

Joseph appeared in front of Haans, white light shimmering from his feet and a Seeleschneider in his hand. The blonde man's jacket was ripped into fragments an instant before it erupted into a burst of needles.

"Forgive me for stepping in," Joseph apologised, his emerald eyes narrowing as he observed Shuutara's porcelain arms clacking behind her back. "But I saw her stitch you up. I couldn't very well let her kill you if I knew it was coming."

Glancing sidelong at his fellow, the blonde-haired elite pulled up his top lip in annoyance. "I could have handled that myself."

"Really?" Joseph pulled an amused expression and glanced back over his shoulder.

Kirio lifted the giant silver spatula that she wielded and lunged at the back-facing Sternritter.

Catching sight of the rotund woman, in his peripheral vision, Joseph leant backwards and allowed the weapon to pass over his head. Turning to the side, on the ball of his left foot, he bent his body into a crouching position and leapt away from Kirio.

"Something tells me that we're ill-suited to fighting these women." As Joseph retreated, Shuutara launched dozens of needle-tipped threads towards Haans. "I'm a pretty straightforward guy, and these women seem extremely versatile and difficult to predict."

Haans did his best to dodge the needles, however some of them found their mark. Plunging into his skin, they began to wind through his muscles, restricting his movements and binding him.

"As much as I hate to agree with you, I think you're right," Haans laughed, struggling against the threads. "And call me crazy, but I don't think Beraht would do much against them!" Fighting against the restraints, he tried his utmost to defend against and dodge Shuutata's subsequent assault.

"Well, you are crazy," Joseph teased. "But I see your point." He continued to dodge the repeated attacks from Kirio. "So what do you say... We let our newest member show off what he can do now?"

One of Joseph's emerald eyes flicked towards Onmar, still sat on the floor just outside of the blood pool that Haans had created earlier. His face was set into an expression of unwavering apathy.

Joseph dodged another of Kirio's attacks and leapt backwards, landing next to Onmar. Glancing down at him, he smiled slightly. "Any time you're ready."

Onmar grunted once and looked up at Kirio; her large frame charging at them. Reaching up, he grasped Joseph around the wrist. "T-1."

He moved so fast that even the super-human eyes of the Squad Zero members failed to see him so much as twitch. Onmar appeared in front of Kirio. Grabbing the foremost end of the spatula's handle, he sidestepped around the Shinigami woman at such a rapid pace that his entire form blurred. Pulling on the weapon, he utilised the momentum from both of their movements to spin the obese woman on the spot and throw her.

Vanishing again, Onmar reappeared beside Haans; still occupied by his duel with Shuutara. His hand was resting on the blonde man's shoulder. "T-1."

Slashing out with one of her large knitting needles, Shuutara took a swipe at the new arrival.

The attack passed through the afterimage left by the Schutzstaffel, meeting nothing but the discarded hooded cloak that Onmar once wore.

"Grab hold of me."

Nina and Uryu's attention snapped to the space between where they both stood. Onmar was standing with one arm calmly by his side, staring intently through his lime green eyes at the two Royal Guards. In the crook of his free appendage, he held the almost ethereal form of Beraht.

Now that the Sternritter mantle was no longer obscuring his form, the pair could see that he wore a strange variation of the standard white uniform. His jacket was trimmed with black, as opposed to the usual blue, and bore a set of stout lapels, positioned high on his chest and fastened tightly with a multitude of black buttons. Beneath the jacket he wore a white turtleneck, zipped up to just under his chin.

Hurriedly obeying his order, both Uryu and Nina grabbed hold of his shoulders.

"T-1."

Both Kirio and Shuutara abandoned their own fights and began to charge him, correctly recognising the tanned man as the highest priority threat.

As the two women moved within four feet of him, Onmar let out a low mutter of: "G-9."

Nothing could have prepared the duo for what came next.

A force unlike anything they had ever felt before came crashing down on them from above.

It was as if the very air itself was crushing them. Their robes felt unnaturally heavy; their bodies sluggish and slow. Even their hair felt as if it was going to rip itself from their follicles.

Kirio struggled to remain upright, her straining eyes glaring at the young man.

_What the hell is this...?!_ she thought, even her mind's voice carrying a weighted strain to it. _This is not... Reiatsu... What on earth...?!_

Onmar released Beraht and shook off the other two hands that held the fabric of his uniform. Slowly, he began to walk towards the two members of the royal guard.

Much like him, none of the other Quincy seemed effected by the overwhelming pressure being exerted upon the female Shinigami.

"I'm impressed that you're both able to remain standing," Onmar said, calmly. "A regular person would have been instantly crushed."

"What are you?!" Shuutara shouted, overwhelming strain present in her voice.

"My name is Onmar Gunther," he replied, softly. "I was the last Sternritter to be created by His Majesty... When he gave me my powers, I was given the letter G. My epithet is that of The Gravity."

Kirio's typically squinted eyes opened wide in shock, staring past her fat cheeks.

"I bet you're surprised that I'm this strong..." he mused. "Most people are. I think it's the vibe that I give off. I complain a lot, and I'm actually pretty lazy. It doesn't help that I'm always sitting down and trying to avoid doing any work... Even most of the lower soldiers in our army think that I'm worthless." He sat back down, tucking his right leg under him and resting his arms on top of his left knee. His eyes remained flat as he watched them struggle to move. "But I think that everyone here with me now would agree that, out of all of the Sternritter... I'm the strongest."


	60. Beleuchtung

**Chapter 60: Beleuchtung [From Darkness to Light]**

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) watched the two Royal Guards through his calm lime eyes. Sinking down to their knees, beneath the force of gravity crushing down on them from above, the women's faces strained. Despite the dominating force they still remained upright, fighting against the pressure, despite not being able to move.

Wind fluttered past his body, tussling Onmar's black hair around his face. Shifting his position, he laid his head down on his arms, crossed atop his left knee.

Kirio's eyes opened wide. One of her fingers started to shudder as she attempted to control the tree of life.

"Your abilities won't do you much good anymore," Onmar said, noting the movement. "Everything in a thirty meter radius around me is affected by nine times normal gravity; not just yourselves. The only exceptions are things that I use my T abilities on."

Around him, the other Sternritter and Uryu continued to move normally, unimpeded by Onmar's powers.

"This is amazing," Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) said, walking past the two Shinigami, towards Onmar. Clearly impressed, he patted the younger man on the shoulder. "Even I didn't think that you were that strong."

"It's nothing," came the reply. "My Schrift is just broken and overpowered."

"I beg to differ," Joseph said, smiling. Crouching, he sat down next to his fellow and crossed his legs. "Everyone has a limit. I think you just don't want people to know yours." He cocked his head to the side, flashing light across the lenses of his glasses. "A smart move. But... Don't think we're all too stupid to realise that it's more than just your Schrift. I saw how fast you moved back then."

Onmar didn't respond.

"Yeah," Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) cut in, striding over towards the sitting duo. "How the hell are you so fast?!"

Sitting in silence for several moments, Onmar appeared to ponder whether or not to answer. "I just shed a bit of weight."

"What the hell do you m-?"

Haans never got to finish his sentence. A flash of light glittered through the air as Kirio Hikifune lunged at the group.

Haans slammed face first into the ground. In the split second before Kirio's attack landed, Onmar had risen to his feet, thrown Haans out of the way and blocked the oversized spatula with a blade, formed from reishi.

Far from the monstrously obese woman that she had once been, Kirio now appeared in the form of a slim young woman. She had discarded her fat in the same way that one would remove clothes. Her eyes shone brightly from her beautiful face, with fierce determination.

"You heard me speak about shedding weight and decided to try something similar," Onmar mused, grinding the edge of his blade against the woman's oversized cooking utensil. He ignored the shouts of anger from behind him that Haas began to fling his way. "Smart."

"Well, I'm not a member of the Zero Division for nothing," Kirio retorted.

Just as Onmar opened his mouth to reply, a curious thing happened.

The black hair atop his head. The black trim on his uniform. The Shihakusho that his opponent wore. Everything in the area that bore even the slightest tinge of the shade; all of it began to, for lack of a better word, leak out into the air.

Gasping, the purple haired woman leapt away from the enemies and looked over her shoulder at the True Vestibule Road. "The Monk..."

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki and co. were sat inside the pillar, screaming upwards into the sky, when the strange occurrence with the black occurred.

It seeped off of their clothing, the shadows, and even the pupils of their eyes.

Ganju Shiba was the first one to notice the odd phenomenon. "H-hey guys...!" he stammered, uneasily. "Are you all seeing this?"

"What the...?" Ichigo gasped.

"What is this?" Chad asked, breaking from his usual calm expression.

"Yoruichi-San," Orihime said, directing her concerns to the former Second Division Captain. "What's happening?"

Yoruichi's expression was stoic and calm. She knitted her brows together and observed the shadows dispersing from beneath the cloak that she wore. Her voice was level and flat, however gripped with strong undertones of unease. "I have no idea what this is..."

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) limped through the wreckage of the Silbern, gripping his bloody right shoulder with his left hand. Breathing heavily, he peered through the sweat that clung to his brow.

He had regained consciousness shortly after his battle with the Arrancar and opted for a tactical retreat. He knew that his opponent wouldn't be coming to for a while and decided that he would use the time granted to him to recover.

On top of that, he had no idea where the Arrancar has been flung by the resulting explosion of their colliding attacks.

All in all, his course of action was arguably the best and most logical.

Stumbling once, Sylvanus gritted his teeth.

_Damn it... I need to... Find a relief team of Soldat. They may not be on the level of Jamina, but any kind of healing is better than nothing..._

One of his feet slipped between a crack of rubble and he fell forwards, slamming into the ground and crying out in pain.

_Damn... Where is it...? Please tell me that I'm close to The Gate of the Sun!_

As Sylvanus slowly rose to his feet, unbeknownst to him, the black of his combat boots had begun to seep out into the chilling air around him.

* * *

Marechiyo Omaeda and Tetsuzaemon Iba arrived at the outskirts of the battlefield to find Sui-Feng leaning against the wall of a dilapidated building. Blood slipped from between the bandages wrapped around her body, beneath her Shihakusho. During the fight, her wounds had been reopened, and her activation of the Muukyu Shunko had driven her to the point of exhaustion.

Sat at her feet and licking at her wounds was a large brown dog.

"Captain!" Omaeda shouted, rushing towards his wounded superior. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Do I... look like I'm okay to you?" Sui-Feng retorted, sharply. She ground out the words through gritted teeth, and gripped one of her injured shoulders with a single bloody hand. Nodding towards the decapitated body of Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire), she pulled her top lip up in disgust. "She did this to me... Inhumanly strong... Just about managed to win... Though not through any fault of my own, I'm embarrassed to admit."

"Where is my Captain?" Iba asked, worry present even behind his dark glasses.

Sui-Feng pointed her chin down at the dog, sat by her feet. "You're looking at him..."

Stepping back in shock and dismay, Iba looked down at the lupine form of his Captain. "Wh-what...?"

"He used... A technique that made him immortal... But apparently it didn't last very long. So he turned into this..." She turned her attention towards Komamura and her expression softened. "We couldn't have beaten her without him. He... He was the reason that we won."

Kneeling down next to the dog, Iba reached out slowly and placed his hand on its back. "Captain..."

"What about Captains Muguruma and Ōtoribashi?" Omaeda asked.

Sui-Feng pointed over her shoulder into the blood soaked wreckage. "Unconscious, in there... They're in horrible shape... But alive. Thank god."

Iba glanced up at the female Captain and hardened his expression. "Do you think they can still fight?"

"Truth be told, I don't even know if I can still fight..." she admitted, gritting her teeth.

"Then with you Captains all like this..."

"A-and with us Lieutenants barely strong enough to deal with one enemy... Even if we group up..." Omaeda continued.

"We're all just the North side of useless," Sui-Feng completed the train of the conversation.

"As much as I hate to agree with you, I think you're right," suddenly arose a voice. It carried a great weight to, yet still held a cheerful and lighthearted tone.

Stood atop the half-ruined building that Sui-Feng was leaning against, Shunsui Kyoraku was looking up at the deep orange sky. His pink flowery kimono caught the breeze and billowed around his body, almost melding with the warm shades thrown over it by the setting sun. Reaching up, he readjusted his wide hat.

"Captain Commander!"

"The one and only," Kyoraku said, breaking into a smile. Hopping down from atop the building, he landed on the top of a large shard of rubble. "Oh my... They've really made a mess of this whole place. You all did a really good job of destroying everything. I just hope that if it changes back to the Seireitei our buildings will be unharmed. It would be a real pain to have to rebuild everything." He glanced over his shoulder. "Wouldn't you agree, Ukitake?"

Jushiro Ukitake, Captain of Squad Thirteen, stepped out into the open air. His body was bandaged underneath his Shihakusho and he had dark bags below his eyes. "Well, rebuilding is better than dying and not being able to reconstruct anything in the first place."

"How did I know that you would say that?"

"You know, as much as I like listening to you two, we have more pressing matters..." Sui-Feng interjected. "In case you haven't noticed, we let them invade the Soul Palace... And would you mind telling me why the pair of you have been laying low this whole time? Or did you just not feel like fighting along with the rest of us?"

Ukitake turned towards the young blood-soaked woman and broke into a strained smile. "I'm sorry... I would have joined the fight if I could... But I was a bit preoccupied with breaking a certain seal. And as for my friend..."

"I had business with the Central 46," Kyoraku said.

Sui-Feng broke into a shocked expression. A sensation like a chilling bolt of electricity coursed through her body. "What do you mean...? Kyoraku... What did you do?!"

"Nothing yet," he replied. "I was simply gaining the necessary permission to act as I saw fit."

"Kyoraku, I-!"

All of a sudden, Sui-Feng stopped short. She had noticed something. Something that, by all right and logic, should not have even been possible. All of the black from the area was seeping out into the open air.

Kyoraku's eyes shot upwards and he rapidly stared up into the sky. "Something is wrong..."

* * *

"Blacken... Ichimonji."

As Hyousube Ichibei swung his enormous calligraphy brush about his body, a smear of ink, as if painted onto an invisible canvas, was drawn out midair. The tip of his brush warped and contorted before forming into the shape of a stout blade.

In front of him, Yhwach stood observing the action. His face was stoic and his form stained with blood and ink from their duel. Set deep into his face, beneath thin and discerning brows, his crimson eyes attempted to make sense of his enemy.

Up until this point, their fight had been relatively equal. As much as it pained Yhwach to admit it, he found himself on equal footing with the leader of the Shinigami's Royal Guard.

The problem was whether or not the release of Ichibei's Zanpakuto would turn the tide of the fight out of Yhwach's favour.

He watched the short blade intently, attempting to figure out just what abilities Ichibei was about to demonstrate.

Moving slowly, Ichibei dragged the brush through the air.

_Wait... Brush? Wasn't it a blade a moment ago?_

"Oh ho," the leader of the Zero Division mused. "Don't tell me that you're already confused. While it is true that the saying is 'The pen is mightier than the sword', don't tell me you're already having trouble distinguishing between the two?"

Leaping towards the Quincy Kaiser, Ichibei clashed against Yhwach's ornate reishi sword with the blade of his Zanpakuto. Jet black ink erupted from the blade, spitting across the surroundings. Over and over this happened, until the area was almost drowning in ink.

Yhwach laughed, all the while engaging his opponent in a flurry of sword strokes. "Do you truly believe that this is enough to defeat me? No matter how much ink you cover our battlefield with, it will do you little good. You are no match for this here! My sword, -!"

Suddenly stopping, the King of the Quincy's eyes snapped down towards the sword clasped between his hands.

"Oh?" Ichibei asked, raising one hand to his ear. "Would you remind repeating that? Or is it simply that your sword... No longer has a name?" He broke into a wide, gleeful smile. "Anything that has been covered by my Ichimonji in ink no longer has a name. And that without a name is without power." He allowed his round eyes to scan Yhwach's attire, until they came to rest on the ornate pendant pinned to his breast, smeared with black. "A nameless sword... A nameless cross... And soon to be a nameless King. Do you truly believe that you are able to defeat me now?"

Yhwach's hand shot upwards, his fingers tipped with glowing spheres of light. "Then it is your powers I shall me taking. Not as one without a name... But as myself! With my own power!"

The five blazing white balls of light shot out into the air, forming into the shape of a Quincy Zeichen, before bursting into searing white. His form eclipsed by the flash, Ichibei faded from view.

"Sankt Altar!"

As his spell began to take effect, Yhwach broke into a wide smile.

However, he did not feel the power of his enemy flowing into him. Far from it. In fact, he felt nothing at all.

The light faded, and Ichibei was revealed standing casually. A dark expression clung to his features.

"Oh don't look so surprised," Ichibei said. "You did take my powers from me, you really did. However, ridding me of them completely is not such a simple matter. For you see, every time I release Ichimonji, I gain access to a power source. A source that is shared by almost everything in this world and the next. My power is that of 'Black'."

Ink splashed against Yhwach, drowning him in midnight darkness. Everything was obscured by a veil of black.

"Now then... One that was once called Yhwach," Ichibei smiled. "Now that you are without a name, what is it that you shall henceforth be called?"

The nameless black figure stood shock still. Nothing moved.

"Oh, I think I have a perfect name in mind."

Lifting his bladed calligraphy brush into the air, Ichibei's eyes whited out and his grin grew broader.

"True Strike; Shirafude Ichimonji!"

Swinging the tool about himself, a white line was drawn through the air.

"Now then... Shall we get started?" He made several sharp, fast movements with his now white-tipped brush, etching a series of kanji symbols onto Yhwach's blackened form. "Anything touched by the tip of my Shirafude Ichimonji is subsequently named by me." His smile widened. "And so I have granted you a new name, with all the added benefits and powers associated with it."

**黒蟻**

"Your new name is Kuroari," Ichibei said. "The black ant. Your powers are now equal to those of the very ants crawling at your feet; your life fragile and fleeting."

"This... is it?" Kuroari asked, a single eye coming into view as the ink dripped down his face.

"Yes," the head of the Royal Guard replied, his eyes growing hard like stone. "This is the limit of your powers. And... This is where your life meets its end. At the hands of the Head of the Shinigami. So then... Are you ready to shoulder the burden of the numerous Shinigami lives that you have ended?"

Kuroari offered no reply.

"I shall take that as a yes. And now, just like an ant... You shall die."

Lifting one foot, Ichibei summoned an enormous ethereal leg into the open air above his adversary. Stomping down on the solid black form of Kuroari, the gigantic foot obliterated the True Vestibule Road and sent him tumbling down into the deep orange of the open air.

"Goodbye oh fearsome King of Insects," Ichibei said.

As he clapped his hands together, two more humongous spiritual limbs manifested midair, crushing the falling black figure between their palms.

Hyousube Ichibei, the leader of the Shinigami's Royal Guard, had won the battle. Smiling broadly, he turned his attention over towards the fight being conducted on the fake vestibule road.

"Now... It appears that I still have business to attend to."

He took a step towards the site of the battle with the Schutzstaffel.

As his broken form fell past the visage of the setting sun, Kuroari began to chuckle under his breath. "To think... To think that now that my eyes have opened... I have been able to see so much!"

An explosion of white light seared up into the sky. The blast shot up into the air behind Ichibei, illuminating his form.

Turning back towards the explosion, Ichibei's eyes opened wide in dismay. "What the... You should be dead!"

Stepping up onto the smashed white floorboards of the True Vestibule Road, the black form of Kuroari began to laugh. The white lettering etched onto his robes began to crumble and fall to the floor, joining the ink leaking off of his body.

Yhwach's deep red eyes began to glow brightly. "Unfortunately for you..." he began. "I have the ability to see all. Everything that is, was, and always will be. And once I have seen your powers... Defeating me is nothing more than a delusional dream."

His pupils suddenly began to split, slipping across the white globes of his eyes, until each of Yhwach's eyes bore three separate pupils and irises.

"My power... Is that of The Almighty." He lifted one hand and pointed it at Ichibei's chest. "And while your power over black and the darkness may be fearsome... But I control light. And in the presence of light, darkness can do nothing but scatter. So... I hope you are prepared to face Illumination."

Hyousube Ichibei was blasted into so many pieces that the only part of him still distinguishable was his head.


	61. KILL THE KING

**Chapter 61: KILL THE KING**

At the very centre of the vastness of the Soul Palace, hanging midair between the five cities, is the cocoon. Easily as tall as the cities are wide, its sheer size is enough to throw your sense of scale into complete disarray.

Inside the cocoon, several hundred stories up and at least half a mile inside sits a large oval of teal-coloured resin. Submerged inside this resin, limbless and with vacant eyes, is the Soul King.

The Vestibule Road lay in ruins; remnants of the battle between Yhwach and Ichibei.

Out in the open air, the battle between the Schutzstaffel and the Royal Guard was long over, the members of the Zero Division having been either knocked unconscious or killed by the Quincy soldiers.

The sun, still in the process of setting, threw a deep red glow over the scenery. Pinks and oranges swam through the air, like the strokes of oil pastels on a picture.

Yhwach stood before the Soul King, blade in hand, staring into its unseeing eyes.

"Hello... Father."

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) reached out with his left hand to steady himself against the wall of a nearby building. He was still losing blood, and he could feel the effects of Hollow Poisoning beginning to take effect on his body.

His breath ripping up his throat, Sylvanus could feel his head swimming. The speed that his heart was beating ensured that the poison was moving quickly throughout his system. In an attempt to slow his breathing and keep his heart rate steady, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

"S-Sylvanus...?"

The voice cut through his ears, snapping him from his dazed stupor. Opening his eyes, Sylvanus caught sight of Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass), peering out from around a corner.

Leaving the adjacent street, the young girl's deep purple eyes opened wide as she realised her comrade was injured. Running over to him, she helped him to stand before acting as a crutch for the much larger man. Before long they had settled inside one of the few nearby buildings that had not been ruined by that battles.

Sitting down into a low chair, Sylvanus cupped his face in his hands and thanked Aya for the assistance.

"It's... It's okay..." she whispered. "Don't mention it..."

"Hey," he suddenly said, looking up at the dark-haired girl and narrowing his hazy eyes discerningly. "I... I know I didn't say anything before, but... I'm sorry about Knight. We were fighting the Kurosaki boy, so I didn't have time to check on you..."

Half stunned by the concern her fellow was showing her, Aya took several seconds before she was able to articulate a reply. "Th... Thank you..."

They sat in silence for a long time, neither quite knowing what to say in the situation.

Sylvanus had acted against orders and broken formation in an attempt to avenge the death of Jamina. All he had to show for it were wounds and no knowledge of where his enemy was.

And Aya had been so overwhelmed with grief that she was unable to reach Zeit, before his Reiatsu disappeared. If she had arrived in time, he may have yet survived.

Two disgraced soldiers, trapped on the battlefield.

The silence was broken as Sylvanus winced in pain. He had been so relieved to find a comrade that he had forgotten about the Hollow Poisoning.

"Aya..." he hissed through his clenched teeth. "I... I know this isn't your area of expertise but... Please... Anything you can do right now... Anything at all... Would be a great help...!"

Hurrying over to him, Aya placed her hands on Sylvanus' forearm. He was right; she knew little to nothing about healing. However, that didn't mean that she was completely clueless when it came to purifying rituals. Far from it in fact.

Glowing white light started to hum from her hands and spreads up Sylvanus' arm.

"Das Licht Gottes verlangt Ihre Freilassung..." she began to chant softly. The light glowing from her hands intensified. "Spülen Sie Ihren Geist von bösen Gedanken... Zurück..."

Sylvanus felt the poison entirely leave his system. Staring into the girl's eyes, he broke into a shocked expression. "How did you know how to do that?"

"Knight taught me..." Aya replied. "Incase... Incase he ever became a black knight. It's a purifying chant. A powerful one too. It was originally intended to cure hollow poisoning, but he realised that it would work on him."

"He was a smart man." Peering intently at the young Sternritter, Sylvanus broke into a slight smile. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it..."

"So," Sylvanus said, in an attempt to prevent a return to silence. "What do you think is going on out there?"

"I don't know... I can't feel Zeit anymore... So that must mean that he's dead."

"Yeah, it seems that way." They grey haired young man knitted his thin brows together. "Whoever fought him is either very strong or extremely lucky... I can't believe that monster is dead... I can still sense Clarimond out there, so that's good for us."

"Basilisk and Snow were still alive when they sent me to go and find Zeit," Aya added.

"Which just leaves Gabriele down here with us, unaccounted for..." Sylvanus finished. "Honestly, when it comes to her I can never tell when she's around or not. Her power fluctuates too much to get a good read on. One second it's normal and then it suddenly spikes... But truth told, even though we can't sense her right now... I can't imagine her dying..."

"What are we going to do?" Aya asked, concerned. "Do you think we should try and meet up with the others?"

"No," came the blunt reply. "Moving right now is out of the question. The enemy may have suffered heavy losses, but they still outnumber us." He lifted his bloodied top lip distastefully. "It would be a different matter if we knew that there was at least one person out there watching our backs, but there isn't... What I wouldn't give to have Onmar around right now." Turning his attention back towards Aya, he pulled an annoyed expression. "And don't start giving me any of your crap about hating him, right now. As long as he was down here with us, I knew there was always someone watching out for us... Even if we couldn't see him. Now, however... We're mostly beaten to hell, with no reinforcements in sight."

Pausing for a second Sylvanus looked up, through one of the high windows at the sky, and took a deep breath.

"I have a bad feeling about this... I can't quite put my finger on what it means, exactly... But I know that something horrible is going to happen soon. I can feel it."

Aya seemed to understand what he meant and nodded.

"So for now..." Sylvanus said, with great purpose behind his voice. "We lay low..."

* * *

Kisuke Urahara was stooped down low, attempting to dig through the wreckage of the former Research and Development Institute.

He needed to salvage anything that he could if he was going to construct a new way to enter the Soul Palace. The replica of the Flower Crane Cannon had only been good for one shot, and Mayuri's post mortem destruction of the lab, and erasing of the data, had wedged a spanner into the works of his plans.

Already, his mind was whirring in an attempt to figure out a solution to the problem.

Around him, the few surviving members of Squad Twelve had joined him in digging up the few remaining working parts available.

Akon grunted deeply as he attempted to move a large piece of heavy machinery.

"Damn it..." he said, breathing heavily. "This is getting nowhere fast... And if I know Mayuri, he'll more than likely have installed an EMP to ruin anything electrical."

"Oh I already realised that a long time ago," Urahara said, brushing off the Third Seat's concern. "No... What we're looking for is remnants of something that doesn't run on electricity."

_Well that was infuriatingly vague..._ Akon thought to himself. _Now I see why Mayuri got it from..._

"Hey!" suddenly shouted Hiyosu's voice, from across the wreckage. "I think I found something!"

The group all hurried over towards Hiyosu's location, peering down in the ruins of the lab. Nestled between the boulders and chunks of rubble was a curious domed device.

"What on Earth is that...?" Akon asked, naturally nervous around anything of Mayuri's that he hadn't laid eyes on before.

"That's exactly the thing I was looking for," Urahara said, light gleaming from behind his eyes. "I expected something half-constructed and incomplete... But to think that he had a working model already made, and didn't tell me. He really is sneaky..."

"Well that's all well and good that it's set for function," Akon said. "But what is it?"

"This, my friends..." Urahara broke into a sly smile. "Is a Reiatsu amplifier."

"And why the hell do we need this thing?" Hiyosu asked, his nasally voice cutting through the air.

"In order to get to the Soul Palace, the Cannon is out of the question... And so the only option left to us is to make a dimensional jump." Peering from beneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, he placed one hand on the large domed device. "We'll need an enormous amount of energy to make said jump... So that's where this comes in."

"That's all well and good," Akon began. "But just having the power to do it isn't enough... We need something to open the dimensional gateway in the first place. And, without the lab, we have no means of doing that."

"Oh don't worry about that." Rising to his feet, Urahara broke into a wide smile. "I'll think of something."

* * *

The pillar transporting Ichigo's group slammed into the ruined end of the Vestibule Road. Hitting it at an angle, it span about itself several times before landing on the uppermost end.

Stepping out onto the white boards, the team felt unease wash over them.

"This is far too quiet..." Chad muttered, looking over the area and swallowing hard. "Something must have happened..."

"Do you think all the battles are over?" Orihime asked, pulling a concerned expression.

"I don't know," Yoruichi said, knitting her brows together. "Things shouldn't have been over this fast..."

"Here's hoping the Royal Guard are the ones that won," Ganju grunted.

Ichigo's whole body suddenly locked up. Laid upon the ground, several paces ahead of them, were dozens of bloody chunks. Nestled amidst them was the head of The Monk, his eyes dead and unseeing.

"Oh no..."

Walking up behind Ichigo, the other members of his group laid eyes on the dismembered body of the Head of the Royal Guard.

"This is...?" Chad began, his voice trembling slightly.

"The High Priest..." Ichigo answered. "He's the one that trained me, during my time here."

Orihime dashed forwards and summoned her Shun Shun Rikka. "I might still be able to heal him!"

"Um, can you even do that?" Ganju asked, his eyes wide. "He's in pieces."

**Ichigo Kurosaki.**

Ichigo's body shuddered and he looked around, hurriedly. He could have sworn that he heard someone's voice. It was deep, echoing and overwhelmingly familiar. It sounded like-

**Hyousube Ichibei. Say it. I implore you to say my name.**

"H-Hyousube Ichibei."

Before Orihime even had a chance to initiate her healing, The Monk's body had reformed. Letting out a lighthearted sigh, he sat up and pulled a relieved expression.

Ichigo and his friends all broke into horrified expressions.

"B-but how?!" Ichigo suddenly blurted out. "I thought you were dead!"

"I was," he replied simply. "However, thanks to you I was able to come back. All names hold a certain degree of power, and when you spoke mine I was able to take some of your power and resurrect myself."

"Well that sure is rude..." Ichigo said, pulling an annoyed expression. "I never said that you could take any of my power."

"It was either that or I remain dead," Ichibei replied. "I think both of us would agree that this was the best course of action, considering."

Yoruichi walked up behind Ichigo and placed one hand on his shoulder. "He understands." She looked up into Ichibei's eyes. "What happened here?"

"The enemies were much stronger than we expected," the large bald man replied. "The remainder of the Guard have all been defeated, and Yhwach has progressed on to the Palace." He looked over the group. "Please... Stop him. I would go with you, but as I am now, I am far too weak. You don't have to kill him... Just... Stop him."

Ichigo swallowed hard and stared into the old Shinigami's eyes. He nodded once before turning around and looking up at the gigantic floating cocoon. As his friends joined him, they all set off at a run, leaving Ichibei behind.

"The Soul King is the lynchpin of the universe," he continued. "If he should perish the. Everything will come to ruin. The World of the Living, the Soul Society... Even Hueco Mundo. All of it will be destroyed. I am sorry for asking so much of you, but please... Protect the Soul King."

Tearing along the Vestibule Road at high speed, Ichigo glanced sidelong at Orihime and nodded.

"Santen Kesshun!"

Three of the small fairy-like spirits that Orihime controlled formed into the shape of a large triangular shield. Every member of the group leapt on top of the orange structure as it took flight.

Landing just through one of the enormous archways that covered the outside of the cocoon, they advanced deep into the dwelling of the Soul King. The inside was brightly lit and relatively open, their footsteps echoing about themselves.

"Ah!" suddenly called out a voice. It reverberated imposingly throughout the vastness of the temple, the pressure accompanying it remaining long after the sound had faded. "I was wondering when you would arrive. To think that that damn Monk would send you here by yourselves. What an insufferable fool."

Stood in the centre of the vast room, in front of a large oval of resin, was Yhwach. His red, three-pupiled eyes narrowed discerningly. Ichigo felt his stomach sink. Here was the man responsible for the death of his mother.

"Ichigo Kurosaki..." he said. "You have come here in a futile attempt to stop the Gears of Fate from turning. What you fail to realise is just how insignificant you really are... How very much like a pitiful bug you are. And like a bug, you shall be crushed by the very gears you are attempting to stop." Yhwach broke into a slight smile. "He only kindness I can grant you in all of this is that I will bury you myself."

"Yhwach..." Ichigo said, ignoring his enemy's speech and stepping forwards. "I've come here to-"

"To stop me," Yhwach interrupted. "Yes, I am aware. I have seen it all with these eyes of mine."

"Eyes?" Ichigo asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"These eyes, set into my skull, are able to see the truth in all things," the King of the Quincy explained. "Past, present, future... All of it may as well be occurring in front of me. I have seen it all... You coming here and confronting me. Not to mention what you will happen to do next. However..." He stepped aside and revealed the Soul King. Planted in the teal coloured resin, and impaling the limb-less entity through the chest, was Yhwach's sword. "You are already far too late."

"You!" Ichigo shouted, his heart lurching into his chest. "What have you done?!"

"I would think that much is obvious," Yhwach replied, a slight smile plucking at the corner of his lips. "The Soul King is no more. You arrived too late, Ichigo Kurosaki... And now you have no more moves left to make."

Dashing past the Quincy Kaiser, Ichigo grabbed hold of the hilt of the sword.

"So you have decided to pull the sword from the King?" Yhwach said, as he watched the event unfold. "Well then... Do it. However, I hope you are prepared to destroy the Soul Society... With your own hands."

The instant his hand touched the hilt of Yhwach's blade, a sickening sensation ripped through Ichigo's body at the speed to light.

His pupils dilated as he felt his mind dragged into his inner world.

_Landing flat against the window of a sidewards-facing skyscraper, Ichigo found himself staring up at a dark and cloudy sky._

_Screams ripped across the landscape._

_Hurriedly rolling onto his side, Ichigo spotted the dark silhouette of a man, convulsing in pain._

_"Zangetsu..." Ichigo gasped, making a dash towards the manifestation of his Quincy abilities._

_Appearing behind him, a pure white version of himself grabbed Ichigo and restrained him. "Stop! Don't get any closer to him!"_

_Fighting against the spirit of his Zanpakuto, Ichigo screamed at him. "Let me go, he needs help!"_

_"No, Ichigo! Stop!"_

_Just as the Quincy spirit let out a bloodcurdling scream, Ichigo managed to break free. Running towards him, he placed a hand on Zangetsu's shoulder._

_The older man looked up at Ichigo, all the white spamming and shaking in pain. Strain was etched across his face. Deep red lines glowed from his skin, similar to those associated with Blut Arterie._

_"Ichigo... please... Get away from me...!"_

_Behind him, the white form of the other Zangetsu chased after the orange-haired young man. "Quick! Get back!"_

_As if unable to control himself any longer, the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy abilities lurched forwards and grabbed Ichigo's wrist._

_"Ichigo..." he managed to choke out, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry..."_

Outside of Ichigo's inner world, he pulled a straining face. His blood vessels rose up against the skin of his neck and face. The hand with which he held Yhwach's sword began to tremble and shake. Glowing red lines etched themselves across Ichigo's arm.

With a bloodcurdling scream, Ichigo pulled the sword out of the Soul King-

And promptly cut him in half.

A heavy sound reverberated through the air as the bottom half of the teal resin, containing the King, fell to the floor.

Yhwach broke into a slight smile. "The Quincy blood in your veins would never be able to overlook the existence of the Soul King. Try as you might to fight it, simply being in his presence will be enough to force you to cut him down."

Ichigo began to tremble and shake, his eyes wide in shock. Sweat poured from his skin and he felt like he was about to throw up from the sheer mental strain.

"Now..." Yhwach said. "Let us watch the end of the world together."


	62. KILL THE KING 2 (Meuterei)

**Chapter 62: KILL THE KING 2 (Meuterei)**

The decapitated body of Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) lay beneath the red of the setting sun, cloaked in a deep pink light. Soaking the ground around her, deep crimson blood lapped at her milky pale limbs.

Following the departure of the wounded Shinigami, and the extraction of Gabriele's restrained vampire puppets, the landscape was deathly still. The whole area was so chillingly quiet, it seemed to draw inspiration from the phrase "silent like the grave".

Gabriele's little finger began to twitch.

Blood rushed back into her body from the immediate area, filling her almost until bloating point. Arteries and veins shot out of her severed neck and dived into the bloody laceration at the base of her discarded head.

All of her jointed immediately locked up at once as her head reattached. Eyes rolling back in her head, Gabriele's entire body began to twitch and spasm.

Thrashing on the spot, the naked woman started to scream in rage.

"Damn them!" she screamed, saliva flying from between her sharp teeth. "I'll kill them! I'm going to kill all of them! Every last one!"

Rolling onto her front, Gabriele dug her fingernails into the ground and gritted her teeth. Her red and black hair billowed behind her and her bright vermillion eyes stopped glowing.

"Shit..." she hissed, retching in pain. "I've used too much power... Was... Just barely able to regenerate. Damn them! Forcing my Zweit Stuffe to consume me..." One hand shot up and her fingernails dug into the skin of her left breast. "Lucky for me... That bitch didn't stab my heart after they cut off my head..." Starting to laugh, her cackling voice echoed through the ruined buildings of her battlefield.

Arching her back, Gabriele stared up at the blood red sky and drank in the atmosphere. Her hair stuck to her bloody face, clinging to the moisture as her cheek twitched.

Eyes holding the descending sun whole, she broke into a wide smile.

"Your Majesty..." Gabriele sighed, contently. "Don't worry... I'm not done quite yet." She looked over her shoulder, towards the cluster of Reiatsu that she could sense. "I hope you're all ready for this... Because I'm going to slaughter you all."

No sooner had she said this, everything in the area began to shake violently.

* * *

Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) moved slowly through the wreckage of the Silbern. Peering through her remaining purple eye, she attempted to discern a building on the far reaches of her vision.

Despite being down an eye and several fingers, Clarimond was confident that she would be able to continue fighting. Having finally killed the man responsible for her family's murder had left her feeling invincible. She felt as if she could practically take on the entire enemy army by herself.

However, she was still about her wits enough to recognise that she was wounded and exhausted.

Clarimond needed to meet up with her fellows soon.

Ahead of her, inside the building that filled the vision of her one good eye, she could sense Quincy Reiatsu. Two of them; both of which were increasingly familiar.

She could hear a raised voice from inside.

Reaching the door, Clarimond reached out with her injured hand and swung open the wooden structure.

A glowing reishi bow shot up and pointed at her.

Lifting her hands to the sides of her monochrome hair, Clarimond opened her remaining eye wide. "Whoa! Whoa!"

Narrowing his dull blue eyes, Snow (The Yuki-Oni) let out a sigh of relief and lowered his bow. "I thought you were an enemy," he said, simply.

He looked like he had been through hell. Snow's usually pristine variant of the Sternritter uniform was in shreds. Burnt black and torn all over, it looked as if he had been caught in the midst of an enormous explosion. His hair was singed and wounds covered almost every inch of his exposed skin.

"What the hell happened to you?" Clarimond asked, closing the door behind her and leaning back against the wall.

"This piece of shit," Snow pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the two-dimensional form of Basilisk Jones (The Dimsension),etched onto the wall, "used me as a lure." He pulled his top lip up in disgust. "Set off a reishi bomb in between me and Kenpachi Zaraki." Suddenly realising Clarimond's own condition, he pulled a concerned face. "How about you?"

"Mayuri," Clarimond chuckled. "It was worth it, though... I managed to kill him."

"You killed Mayuri Kurotsuchi?" Snow asked, shock etching across his burnt and bloody face.

"Oh yeah," she whispered, staring at the ground through a single purple eye and beginning to laugh under her breath.

"Congratulations are in order," the perfectly flat form of Basilisk said, from behind Snow. "When I fought him, it was all I could do to keep him occupied. Not to mention, up until now, I had been content with simply wounding Zaraki."

Snow rounded on his comrade. His eyes narrowed into chilling daggers. "Content with simply wounding Zaraki?" he shot out. "Are you listening to yourself right now, you bastard? You used me as bait!"

"I managed to remove Zaraki from the fight," Basilisk replied, bluntly.

"And damn near killed me in the process!" Snow shouted, rage bubbled up inside him and seared across his skin, setting his hairs on edge. "Did you not realise how huge you made that damn bomb?! You only just learned Vollständig recently, and you thought you could use Sklaverei?! And in the middle of the Soul Society! Everything here is made of reishi! You steal too much and it becomes unruly; even a Soldat knows that!"

"I don't see what you're getting worked up about," Basilisk said. The perfectly flat image of the brown-haired man folded its arms and stared calmly through its cool blue eyes. "You survived; mostly unharmed I might add. Zaraki was not so lucky. The blast may not have been powerful enough to kill him, but he's definitely wounded to the point that he won't be interfering in any future fights. As an added plus, it was enough of a distraction to allow us both to escape. And, speaking from personal opinion, I would have just as rather not been killed by his Lieutenant again."

Basilisk's voice, as usual, maintained a calm and almost robotic edge to it. His words were stoic and flat.

"What do you mean 'again'?" Clarimond cut in.

"About half an hour ago," the two-dimensional Sternritter replied. "Did you feel a strange sense of déjà-vu?"

Snow and Claimond both pulled identical expressions of confusion.

"Not many of the other Ritters are aware of this, but my abilities don't stop at the third dimension," he continued to explain. "Once per week, I am able to alter the fourth dimension. I'm able to rewind time." He narrowed his eyes as he watched his fellows react to his revelation. "Only for a maximum of four seconds, but in a dire situation, that's more than enough. Earlier, the Kusajishi girl was able to kill me. So I rewound time to save myself. It was the most logical course of action."

Clarimond's hand began to twitch by her side as she listened.

"If you had a technique that powerful, then why didn't you use it earlier?!" Snow shouted, after Basilisk had finished his explanation. "You could have saved Jamina! Hell, you could have saved Knight!"

"There was no guarantee that rewinding time would have saved them," Basilisk replied, simply. "I was saving the ability for something more dire."

"You mean saving your own skin," Snow hissed, distastefully.

"Say what you want," Basilisk said, brushing off the remark and shifting from the far wall onto the one adjacent to Clarimond. "But we're all still alive, and the way I see it we're in the better position tactically."

"As much as I hate to agree with him," Clarimond said, glancing sideways at Basilisk with her one eye. "He's right..."

Snow tutted through his teeth and sat down at the table in the far corner of the room.

"The real question still remains, though," the white and black haired girl continued. "Where do we go from here? Other than Basilisk we're pretty beat to hell, and God knows where the others are."

"If His Majesty were here, he would push for another attack," Basilisk stated. His face was so calm that the stylised '3' tattooed onto his left cheek barely moved. "Hit the enemy while they're vulnerable and confused. They wouldn't expect it."

"But His Majesty isn't here right now, is he," Snow commented, from across the room. "I'd say the best option for us is to sit back and observe the situation."

"Given the circumstances, that sounds like a good-"

Clarimond was cut off as everything started to shake. Cracks spread up the walls of the building and split across the ceiling. Beneath the Sternritters' feet, the earthquake raged violently.

"What on earth...?" Snow gasped, rising to his feet and pulling a shocked expression.

"This is no earthquake," Basilisk said, his typically emotionless expression breaking to reveal a horrified look. "Even the second dimension his shaking... The Soul King... Is dead!"

"No! His Majesty wouldn't have killed him already! Not with us all still on the ground like this!" Clarimond started to babble, the fear caused by the sudden occurrence tearing through her body. Her right hand, missing several fingers, lurched up in front of her face and she began to chew on the base of her still remaining thumb. "He knows that the only place safe from being destroyed is the Soul Palace! So he wouldn't have. He couldn't have killed him! He wouldn't just discard us like this!"

"Damn you, Yhwach...!" Snow hissed. His head shot up, his eyes staring past the cracked ceiling of the building, as if staring at something high in the sky. "Was this all we were to you!?" he screamed, despite knowing he would receive no answer. "Something to be thrown away, once we've outlived our usefulness!?"

* * *

Kisuke Urahara looked over the group of wounded Shinigami that had all amassed by the ruins of the Research and Development Institute. More than half of them were in no position to fight, let alone hold of any enemy that dared attack them.

"Akon," he said, turning towards his acting second and peering from beneath the rim of his hat. "How are things looking right now?"

"Not good," the horned man replied, seriously. "We're looking at some heavy losses. Captains Ōtoribashi, Muguruma and Komamura were all either seriously wounded or incapacitated in the fight with the Vampire woman. None of them will be able to continue fighting. Captain Sui-Feng is also heavily injured. While none of her wounds are life threatening, I wouldn't be surprised if she was unable to use her Bankai or Shunko again, throughout this war. At the site of the battle, we also discovered Captain Hirako, Lieutenants Kira and Ise, as well as Third Seat Madarame and Fifth Seat Ayasegawa. All of these individuals have been afflicted by some kind of Vampirism and while they are mostly unharmed, we are still working towards curing them. Captain Zaraki was discovered a few minutes ago by a Fourth Division relief team. He's suffered the loss of his right arm, as well as serious concussive damage caused by some kind of reishi bomb. While we all know how resilient he is, I can't imagine him being in any condition to fight again for at least an hour." He turned towards Urahara so that he could talk to him face to face. "We also finally managed to locate Lieutenant Hisagi. As of now, he's still unconscious. And of course... You know about Mayuri."

"Any word on Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai?" Urahara questioned.

A member of the tenth relief squad of the Fourth Division stepped up. "Yes sir. We found them a few minutes ago, unconscious but alive. They're in bad shape, though. It appears that Lieutenant Kuchiki had administered emergency first aid to Lieutenant Abarai, but had used up all of her Reiatsu in the process."

"Damn it..." Urahara whispered, under his breath. "They would have definitely been a big help in the battle."

"And with Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Hinamori dead, after the battles this morning," Akon said, "this leaves us down more than half of our fighting force."

Jushiro Ukitake stepped up towards Urahara and Akon, from within the group of gathered Shinigami. "As much as I hate to admit it... Things aren't looking good for us right now."

"You're telling me," Akon commented, glancing sideways at the members of the gathered group sporting no injuries. "Yachiru won't be leaving Zaraki anytime soon... Kotetsu is out healing the wounded. So all that leaves us are Lieutenants Kurotsuchi, Matsumoto, Iba and Omaeda. And as for Captains remaining, all that's left are you and the Captain Commander."

"You're forgetting Kisuke," Ukitake said, attempting a lighthearted tone as he nodded towards Urahara.

"Somehow, I don't think that's enough to even the odds," Akon admitted. "We're in serious need of reinforcements."

Urahara's lips curled into a smile. "Well," he said. "I may just know an exceptionally strong group of individuals that would be more than willing to help."

Ukitake pulled an interested expression and raised his brows.

"I sent them out earlier to provide relief for the lower ranked Shinigami against the enemies foot soldiers," he continued. "They've been laying low for a while now, but I think it's finally time that I call them back and-"

Urahara stopped short. A look of horror gripped his features tightly. Everything began to shudder.

"Everything's breaking up!" Akon shouted. "Are we under attack?!"

"I don't sense any Quincy Reiatsu," Ukitake cut in. "We're not being attacked. What is this?"

"The Soul King..." Urahara gasped, his eyes widening. "He's... Been killed..."

All of the uninjured Shinigami found themselves locking up as they heard Urahara say those few terrifying words.

"What do you mean he's been killed?!" Marechiyo Omaeda shouted up at the former Squad Twelve Captain. "What about the Royal Guard?!"

"What about Ichigo?!" Rangiku Matsumoto joined in.

"The only explanation..." Urahara said. "Is that the Zero Division has been annihilated... And Kurosaki didn't arrive in time." His expression hardened. "But speculation is the last thing that should be on our minds. Right now, the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, the World of the Living... Even the Dangai. Everything will be destroyed."

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) and Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) were also feeling the effects of the dimensional erosion. Tremors rocked the ground beneath their feet, throwing them off balance to the point where they had to use the walls to stabilise themselves.

"What's happening?" Aya screamed, her legs almost buckling beneath her.

"Damn him..." Sylvanus hissed through his teeth. "Yhwach... He's killed the Soul King."

"No..." Aya gasped. "There's no way... He wouldn't have done that with us all still down here..."

"You really think so?" Sylvanus asked, squaring his jaw and narrowing his eyes. "I've had this feeling for a while... That His Majesty couldn't care less about us. We're just a means to an end." He looked up at the sky, through a hole in the ceiling above them. "He must have used us to keep the Shinigami distracted down here, while he killed the Soul King... And now that he's managed that... We could just die for all he cares."

"But... but..." Aya began to stammer, overwhelmed by the feeling of betrayal that gripped her chest. Her stomach started to churn. She felt sick.

"The way I see it..." Sylvanus said, venom in his voice. "He's just tried to kill us."

Looking up at her fellow, Aya's deep purple eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. Tears began to well in the corners of her eyes, the overwhelming emotions she was feeling starting to take hold of her.

"I swear..." the muscular grey-haired Sternritter said, his voice heavy like lead. "If we make it out of this alive, I'm going to kill him!"

* * *

**[A/N: Not a particularly long chapter, I know, but there is a lot of exposition here, as well as updates on all of the major players and Sternritter on the ground. I hope everyone is enjoying the Fic so far! This has been a big passion project of mine for the past 10 months, so thank you to everyone who has stuck with me!**

**Which Sternritter will die next? Who's do you think everyone is going to fight? Please review and share some of your speculations! I love hearing from all of you!]**


	63. God Like Me

**Chapter 63: God Like Me**

Darkness.

A chilling black void stretched as far as the eye could see, swallowing any semblance of light into its empty gaping maw. Sound was all but a distant memory, the maddening silence filling the empty space. Not even the faint rustle of clothes, or the dull thumping of footsteps could be heard.

However, despite all signs of his presence being swallowed by the dark, there was in fact a man, walking deep into the void. His long brown hair was tied back out of his face, beneath the rim of a wide straw hat. Fluttering from his shoulders was a bright pink kimono and tied around his waist was a decorative light blue sash.

Coming to a stop, Shunsui Kyoraku folded his arms across his chest and stared ahead.

Beneath his feet, the ground began to shake.

"Wow..." he mused, almost to himself. His voice cut through the silence clearly, echoing against the smooth stone walls. "To think that we can still feel the shaking all the way down here... I guess that means that the end really is nigh... Wouldn't you agree with me?"

Shunsui received no response. Not even breathing met his question.

He peered into the darkness. "To think that you wouldn't answer me. And you were always such a fan of your own voice... Sosuke Aizen."

* * *

The bottom half of the Soul King's body, still encased in the pale blue-green resin, rolled across the ground and toppled down the two stout steps leading up to the platform over which its top half currently hung. Blank and expressionless eyes stared from its face, showing no indication of what had just happened.

Still struggling against the power of his own Quincy blood, Ichigo grabbed the wrist of his hand that still gripped Yhwach's sword. Straining against the overwhelming urge to take another swing at the Soul King, Ichigo gritted his teeth and glared up at the Kaiser of the Quincy.

"Do you truly believe that you have the power within you to release that sword?" Yhwach chuckled, his smug voice reverberating throughout the room. "I am Yhwach The Almighty. I have the power to give and take as I please. And with the power I have given you through my sword... You have cleaved the Soul King asunder!"

Wrenching his fingers open, Ichigo tore himself from the compulsion of his blood and dropped the blade. Drawing his own two Zanpakuto, he turned and charged at Yhwach.

Blocking the attacks with his bare hands, Yhwach began to laugh. Staring down Ichigo with his triple-pupil eyes, his lips curled upwards and he smiled around his words. "Why do you still fight me, Ichigo?" he asked. "The Soul King is no more; brought to ruin by your own hands! And so, following closely behind him, the World will also meet its end! All of it will cease to exist!"

Forcing his Blut-enhanced arms forwards, Yhwach sent Ichigo flying back across the room. Dragging his feet against the ground, the orange-haired Substitute Shinigami broke into a shocked expression before glaring at his enemy.

"The sole purpose of the Soul King is to stabilise the fabric of reality," Yhwach continued, swinging his own arms out wide. "And now that he has been felled, everything will come to ruin. The Soul Society, The Dangai, Hueco Mundo... Even the World of the Living! And it's all your doing!"

Ichigo charged forwards again, clashing his two blades against Yhwach's arms.

Using the attack as a distraction, Yoruichi dashed past the duelling pair. She carried Orihime over her shoulder.

Dropping the auburn-haired girl, Yoruichi began to set up a complex array of black scribing upon the ground. "Inoue!" she shouted. "Use your powers to revive the Soul King! I'll do my best to stabilise its condition, with Kido!"

Yhwach laughed over Ichigo's blades, all but ignoring the young man in front of him. "Do you truly believe that your efforts will be enough to revive the Soul King?! A meagre human, such as yourself?!"

Just as the Sōten Kisshun closed around the bifurcated form of the Soul King, however, Yhwach's strange red eyes opened wide in shock. As if by some magnetic force, the two halves of the God were drawn slightly closer to each other, dragging against the ground.

Vanishing from his position in front of Ichigo, Yhwach appeared in front of the human girl and struck her across the face. Carried by the immense force of the backhand, Orihime flew through the air and slammed into one of the pillars that studded the outside of the Cocoon. Crumpling into a heap, she lost consciousness. One side of her face grew puffy and swollen, bleeding profusely.

Chad and Ganju moved to rush to her side, however Ichigo was much quicker.

"Orihime!"

Cupping her head in his hands, he glared across the vast room at Yhwach with blazing fire in his eyes.

"A power that steps into the realm of Gods," the Quincy King muttered, throwing his gaze over towards the group. "You had not entered into my calculations. Just what are you, woman?"

Wire suddenly shredded through the air, trapping Yhwach within a vast web of razor-like metal chords. Yoruichi touched down on the ground behind him, fixing the death trap in place with an anchor peg.

"You talk too much," she said. "Perhaps that's why your guard is down." Her eyes narrowed. "Move one step, and you'll be shredded. That I promise you."

A slight smile plucked at the corner of Yhwach's mouth. "My guard is down? Surely you are mistaken. For I am he who sees all. Everything that is, was, or will ever be. Nothing escapes my gaze."

"Is that a fact?" the former Squad Two Captain said in response. "Because it seems to me that you were unaware of my comrade's abilities. This is just an educated guess, but it seems like anything that steps into divine territory is able elude you."

"A miscalculation that I will not be repeating!" Yhwach boomed, his voice ripping through the chamber. Power burst from his body, tearing up the floor and freeing him from his wire prison. Within an instant, he was stood in front of the two halves of the Soul King. Breaking through the Kido protection, he placed one hand on the suspended top half of the God. "If the realm of Gods is beyond my eyes, then I need simply to step into it myself!"

"Getsuga!"

His curious eyes snapping to his right, Yhwach spied Ichigo charging at him through the air. The larger of his two blades was swathed in jet black spirit energy.

"Tensho!"

The resulting explosion was massive. Tearing at least a quarter of the Cocoon apart, Ichigo's attack erupted out into the open air. Rubble and dust rained down upon Yhwach, who had blocked the attack with the back of his right arm.

* * *

"No response?" Shunsui asked the darkness. "Is it simply that you don't feel like talking to me...? Or is it because I haven't yet unlocked the seal on your mouth? You more than anyone should be able to communicate through your Reiatsu alone."

He waited for a reply. When he received none, Shunsui reached into his robes and drew out three slender keys.

"I have been granted permission by the Central 46 to unlock three of your seals," he explained, smiling slightly. "So... First I will be freeing your mouth. At least then we will be able to have a civilised conversation."

Leaning forwards, he slipped the first of the thin constructs into one of the twenty six holes set into the ground. A dull click pierced through the darkness.

"Now... Usually for someone who hasn't used their voice in over two years, it would take a while for them to get used to it again. But I get the feeling that it wouldn't be the case for you. Am I right?"

The voice that replied was smug and eerily calm. It held an air of unwavering confidence to it. "You would be correct."

Shunsui's eyes opened wide. Slowly, appearing out of the dark, Sosuke Aizen came into view. He stood casually, free from his restrains and looking down upon the Captain Commander.

_How...?!_ Shunsui thought; confusion tearing through his mind. _How is he standing there like that? I've only removed one of his restraints._

"Something the matter?" Aizen asked, peering down through deep brown eyes. "Are you not going to use the other two keys?"

A sly smile crept onto the corner of Shunsui's mouth as he realised just what was happening. Pulling out the remaining two keys, he unlocked two more of the seals. "You almost fooled me there, for a second. You used your Reiatsu to trick my Reikaku into thinking you were unbound. You're very sneaky today." He looked up as the real Sosuke Aizen began to walk towards him. "Tell me, how does it feel now that your left eye and ankles have been released? It must be nice to finally be able to stretch your legs."

Aizen broke into a smile, around the black leather bonds that gripped more than half of his face. "You haven't changed at all. I'm glad to see that you're not sore after I cut you down, back in Karakura-Cho."

"I'm not the type to hold grudges," Shunsui smiled. "I'll take that remark as a compliment. So... What do you say we get this started, shall we?"

Cocking his head to the side, Aizen maintained his casual smirk. "And what exactly would we be starting?"

"Negotiations for your release, of course."

"I don't remember asking for you to release me."

"Please," Shunsui said, returning the smile to his former comrade. "If you didn't want me to let you out, you wouldn't have asked me to use the remaining keys. Or for that matter even entertained the idea of this conversation. So now I'm asking you... Why are you even talking to me?"

"Why indeed."

"Well... If you think that you can simply kill me and escape by yourself..." Reaching up, the Captain Commander opened his Shikakusho to reveal a cross-shaped scar etched onto his chest. "Then you would find yourself mistaken. You see, I've bound the key to Muken to my soul. So if you were to end my life, all that would happen is you would ensure your imprisonment." His smile widened. "So I'm afraid the only way that you will be getting out of here is on my terms."

Aizen scoffed. "This isn't something that you would have come up with yourself... This is the doing of those fools, the Central 46."

"Oh come on," Shunsui said, finally standing and tipping his hat. "Don't tell me your dislike for those old windbags is enough to stop you from giving me a hand. After all, this is for the good of the Soul Society. And I'm sure that after so long down here you want to go outside for a bit of fresh air."

Aizen simply smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes then?"

Stepping to the side, Shunsui revealed a high-backed chair, carved from pure white stone. Stood either side of it were eight members of the Kido Corps.

"Please, have a seat. All you have to do is sit back and relax, and we shall take you back up to the surface."

Aizen paused for a moment, as if to analyse the situation. He allowed the silence to hang in the air.

Without warning, he spoke again.

"Shunsui Kyoraku," he said. "The moment I sit on that chair and follow you outside, do you truly expect me to lend my strength to you?"

"I don't recall saying anything about having you fight on my side," Shunsui said, his face flat and stoic. His eyes betrayed nothing. "However, I feel like this is one of those rare situations where our goals overlap. Wouldn't you agree? If the World were to end, that would mean your death as well. And who knows... If you do follow me outside, you very well may get a shot at the Soul King yourself."

Aizen smiled yet again. "You truly are an interesting man."

* * *

"Ichigo Kurosaki..." Yhwach's calm voice swept over the orange-haired youth. Lowering the arm with which he had blocked the Getsuga, he reached out and narrowed his strange three-pupiled eyes. "Why do you stand in my way? It was you who cut the Soul King down. You who brought the World to ruin. The blood of a Quincy, my blood, flows through your veins. You have no reason to stop me! To the contrary, you should be helping me!"

Taking a step towards the Substitute Shinigami, Yhwach smiled broadly. His eyes began to glow.

"But no..." the Quincy King continued, his voice growing louder with every word. "Instead of joining me, you will no doubt spout out some nonsense about protecting your friends; about protecting your comrades; about protecting everything! Truly yours is the mind of a naïve child!" Sweeping his arms out to his sides, his long black cloak began to billow behind him. "To think that you really believe that you are the only one who can stop me! You really are a fool!"

Ichigo's expression hardened as he stared down his enemy. His voice started out low, gradually beginning to build until it eclipse everything else. "Yhwach... You may be the benefactor of all Quincy. You may be the most powerful opponent I've ever faced. You may even be a God for all I care. But I'm only going to say this once, so you better listen to me, you freak! This Quincy blood flowing through me is not yours, this is the blood of my Mother! You think that just because you're the father of all Quincy that you can control me, well think again! I'm not doing any of this out of needing to protect people! Any other time and you may have been right, but this time... This time I'm here to end this because it was by your hand that my Mother was killed!" He tightened his grip on the smaller of his two blades, rapidly lifting it up beside his head. "Getsuga Tensho!"

A blast of blue and white spiritual energy tore through what was left of the chamber, detonating fiercely against Yhwach's form and dispersing out of the structure, into the open air.

Emerging from the smoke, Yhwach lunged at Ichigo and grabbed him by the arm. The instant that the Kaiser touched him, Ichigo felt his skin begin to burn. Blood bubbled up from inside his vessels, seeping through his muscles and rising to the surface, searing as it went.

"It was by my hand that she was killed?" Yhwach asked, his expression unmoving and his tone calm. "Tell me... Do you really believe that? Because the way I see it, the reason why she died... Was due to your weakness. Your own reckless behaviour."

A current of rage flooded Ichigo's system. Every nerve ending in his body kicked into overdrive; his anger churning deep inside his stomach and spreading, like acid. Ripping his wrist from Yhwach's grip, he charged forwards and raised the short blade. "GETSUGA-!"

Before he had a chance to complete his attack, Ichigo was cut off as a reishi arrow screamed through the air towards him. An explosion of spiritual energy slammed into his left hand side. Sent flying, he tumbled through the air and bounced twice, before coming to a stop across the room.

Righting himself, Ichigo laid eyes on a face that he knew all too well.

"Ishida..."

Before Ichigo could question his former friend's actions, Yoruichi leapt between them and attacked Yhwach. Taking a cue from this, Ganju threw numerous smoke bombs into the fray, from a distance, to conceal her movements.

Two small glowing yellow balls of reishi shot through the air and struck the Quincy King's back. As if taking cue from the two previous attacks, at least a dozen other screamed towards the same point.

"Haans..." the deep voice of the Kaiser suddenly said, barely phased by Yoruichi's assault. "Deal with this pesky fly for me."

Yoruichi's eyes snapped open wide. Whipping her head to the side, she spied the form of a muscular blonde man charging her.

A crazed look in his eyes, Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) shot his right arm out towards the dark-skinned woman and clenched his fist.

Yoruichi immediately felt a strange sensation, like a powerful grip on the top of her right arm. Instantly reacting, she drew a short blade from behind her back and severed the limb below her shoulder joint.

Unfortunately, while she had been distracted by Haans assault, Yhwach had already lifted his left hand and pointed it at her. A shockwave unlike anything Yoruichi had ever felt slammed into her and flung her from the Cocoon like a rag doll.

Chad, still cradling Orihime's head, turned towards the flying woman and cried out. "Yoruichi-San!"

Roused from her unconscious stupor, Orihime peered through her swollen and bloody eyes just in time to see Ichigo rushing towards the Quincy King again. "Kurosaki... Kun..."

Again, the Substitute Soul Reaper found himself impeded in his advance. Uryu, from across the room, began to fire arrow after arrow at him.

Ducking, dodging and deflecting the blasts, Ichigo screamed at his former ally. "Why are you doing this?! Answer me, Ishida!"

"Why am I doing this?" Uryu parroted back, continuing to pelt Ichigo with firepower. "I thought that would have been obvious..."

A bright blue blast of reishi exploded on the ground beside Ichigo, as he hurriedly dodged.

Uryu narrowed his eyes behind his thin-framed glasses. "It's because I'm a Quincy."

As he said this, the remaining three members of the Schutzstaffel arrived, flying in on white wings of reishi. Landing inside the now roofless Cocoon Palace, they wasted no time in circling the remainder of Ichigo's group. Following close behind them was Nina Redwing (The Blood); her uniform still stained completely red by her friend's blood.

"If I had to offer any advice," Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) said, stepping forwards and tilting his head to the side. "It would be to stay calm. We don't want to have to hurt you... But if you attack we will have no choice."

Sitting down on the ground, Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) kept both of his lime green eyes on the group.

Stood off to the side, Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) remained silent. It kept both of its marble-like white eyes closed. In spite of this, Chad felt an overwhelming amount of attention from the being. As if it could hear their very thoughts and was waiting for them to only consider attacking before it retaliated.

"Speak for yourself!" Haans laughed, striding up behind Joseph and looking down at Ichigo's comrades from his above average height. "I need a good fight! I haven't had any fun since we took out the Royal Guard!" Upon finally paying attention to the opponents in front of him he scoffed. "But it seems like I was hoping for too much! What, is this supposed to be some kind of joke? When I heard that someone had tried to attack His Majesty, I thought it was some huge enemy force. I'm insanely disappointed!" Looking over the edge of the Cocoon, into the open air, he laughed once. "Why do I get the feeling that the best one out of all of you was that woman that got tossed earlier?"

An explosion ripped through the area as the latest of Uryu's arrows detonated against Ichigo and sent him soaring towards the group. Sidestepping, Joseph and Haans avoided the flying orange-haired boy.

Leaping in the way, Ganju caught his comrade; his feet dragging against the ground until he was teetering on the edge of the enormous white structure.

"Or maybe I spoke too soon," Haans grinned, looking over the new arrival. His sky blue eyes started to twinkle.

"Leave them be, Haans," Yhwach voice suddenly called, from across the empty space. "They are Uryu's to deal with."

Stood looming over the resin that encased the two halves of the Soul King, he reached out and placed his palm on the glass-like substance. Black energy began to seep from the limbless form of the Soul King and rise to the surface, like oil in water.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ichigo shouted, staggering to his feet and screaming at the Kaiser of the Quincy.

"I am completing what I started earlier," Yhwach replied. "I am stepping into the realm of Gods." He broke into a smile and turned away from Ichigo, so that he was looking down at the Soul King. "You should be thanking me... Through my actions, the World will no longer come to ruin. Rather, it will be united under me."

The black substance began to flow from the now cloudy resin into Yhwach's palm, almost as if he were absorbing it.

"I will be taking the place of the Soul King."

Ichigo attempted another charge when the Cocoon began to crumble. Concrete and stone caved under his feet, sending him and his friends falling out into the open air.

As if to capitalise on the situation, Uryu launched another enormous arrow into Ichigo's chest. The accompanying blast obscured the group from view in a cloud of smoke.

Glancing back at the bespectacled young man, Haans broke into a wide grin. "Nice work, newbie!"

Looking over his shoulder, with his deep red eyes, Yhwach bore an expression like stone. Black markings had begun to spread across his face. "My dear Schutzstaffel..." he began. "Guard me well as I take everything from this pitiful excuse for a God. Do not let anything get in my way." He pointed a single finger from his free left hand towards the ground. Dripping from the tip, a jet black liquid slipped through the cracks of the Cocoon palace and continued on its descent. "For now begins my reign."

* * *

On the ground, the shaking slowly began to stop.

A dark cloud began to descend on the Silbern.


	64. Spit in the Eye of God

**Chapter 64: Spit in the Eye of God**

As the shuddering of the ground gradually ceased, Kisuke Urahara broke into a rarely seen expression of confusion. He had no idea how the universe had been stabilised; only that somehow the Soul King was alive.

"Thank goodness for that..." Ukitake said, stepping forwards. Sweat clung to his face; his eyes uneasy. "I was worried that I would have to step in myself..."

Urahara took note of the statement. Just as he was about to question it, however, a cry came up from the group of wounded Shinigami that surrounded them.

"Up there! In the sky!"

As if following the direction of the voice, everyone's heads shot up in unison. Descending from the sky, at a rapid pace, was a dense black cloud. Slamming into the top of the Shakonmaku Barrier it seeped over the spiritual shield, covering it like a thick layer of paint and throwing the entire of the Silbern into suffocating darkness.

"What the hell...?" Tetsuzaemon Iba gasped, staring up at the expansive black. "It's so dark... It's almost like it's midnight. But the sun was still setting a moment ago."

"What's the meaning of this?" Rangiku Matsumoto asked, uneasily gripping the hilt of her sword, behind her back.

"D-Don't ask me!" Marechiyo Omaeda stuttered. "I've never seen anything like this before!"

"No one was asking you anything," Matsumoto shot back, a slight smile plucking the corner of her full lips.

"It must be the Quincys' doing," Ukitake said, staring up at the darkness and suddenly noting something odd. "Oh no..."

"What is it?" Iba questioned, looking over at the Squad Thirteen Captain.

"I couldn't see it before, but now that the Shakonmaku is covered, it's clear as day..." the white-haired Captain explained. "There's a hole in the barrier... The Seirei Wall must have been cracked during those tremors."

"Damn it," Urahara hissed, through gritted teeth. "That's definitely not good... If the enemy is going to attack, it will definitely be through there. We need to cover that hole. Focus all of your attention on it and make sure you're ready to act if anything comes through."

"Um, sir!" one of the unseated Shinigami, still looking up at the hole, shouted back to Urahara. "Something's coming through!"

It was then that they all heard it. An inhuman, high-pitched keening. Like the distorted wail of a malformed child, the sound carried through the air and pierced their eardrums. Louder it grew, until it almost seemed to eclipse all other sound. It was soon joined by another, and another. Growing into a deafening crescendo, thousands of the sounds ripped across the landscape, like a tidal wave of screeching.

Erupting from the darkness and pouring through the hole in the Shakonmaku, a seemingly endless stream of small black creatures entered the Silbern. Almost perfectly spherical, each of the entities bore a single bulbous yellow eye.

"Oh my God..." Urahara gasped.

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) and Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) were outside the building they had previously been hiding in when the creatures began to descend upon the Silbern.

Clenching his fist tightly at his side, Sylvanus set his feet square against the ground and looked up, the second he heard the horrific cries. The image of the thousands of globular beings was reflected in his dark pupils.

"Damn it..." he hissed. "First the shaking and now this... That bastard really does want to end us, doesn't he?"

"S-s-surely they won't attack us..." Aya whispered hopefully. "The shaking stopped, so... Maybe... Maybe His Majesty wasn't trying to kill us at all..."

Her theory unfortunately proved to be false. Sweeping through the sky, the creatures fell upon everything that lived, attempting to overwhelm and consume them. A torrent of at least a thousand of them made a beeline for the duo.

Reaching up rapidly and snapping one of the points from his necklace, Sylvanus' eyes burst into bright white lightning.

In an attempt to defend Aya, he began to strike the creatures, knocking them back. Slamming his fists and the shins of his legs into the apparitions, he did his best to pummel them into submission, but it did little good. No matter how much he struck them, they simply bounced back and reformed. Even the electrical strikes generated by his attacks didn't seem to be effecting them.

_Shit..._ he thought, continuing to attack the small black creatures. _My attacks aren't doing anything to kill them. No matter what I do, they just keep coming back. Sooner or later, they're going to overwhelm me... I'm too wounded... And as I am now, I'm so slow... Damn it, my body feels so heavy..._

A number of the creatures leapt at him, diving into the blind spot at his back. Each of their yellow, bulbous eyes split open to reveal a mouth of square white teeth.

All of a sudden, a sound akin to the breaking of glass filled the air.

The apparitions that had attempted to blindside Sylvanus into becoming their meal frosted over and became completely see-through. Dropping out of the air, they collided with the ground and shattered into numerous sharp shards.

Having discarded the glove on her left hand, Aya had used her Schrift to transform the miniature monsters into glass.

Briefly glancing over his shoulder, Sylvanus laid eyes on his comrade and broke into a slight smile. "Aya, you're a genius."

Breaking off a different point from his necklace, Sylvanus' eyes lost their static glow. The major joints of his arms and legs were encased in sharp chunks of clear ice. Billowing from between his bloodstained lips, his breath hung in the air as a faint cloud.

"If we can't kill them or beat them back, all we need to do is stop them from moving."

Charging at the creatures, he began to strike them one by one. Every time his fist or foot came in contact with them, ice began to spread across the monsters' small and round forms.

Shouting at the young girl over his shoulder as he fought, Sylvanus knitted his thin brows together. "You concentrate on the North! Turn as many to glass as you can! I'll handle the ones coming at us from the West!"

Aya nodded. "Okay."

The pair fought back to back, immobilising and piling the petrified bodies of the creatures around them. Over and over they continued to beat back the wave of Yhwach's homunculi, pushed to the very limits of their senses. They knew that if they didn't maintain their current pace, they would almost certainly be overwhelmed and consumed.

"Aya," Sylvanus called out as he slammed his elbow into one of the small black balls.

"What is it?" the female Sternritter replied, shattering another of her minuscule enemies.

"I've got a plan," he said, dodging a cluster of the eyeball monsters before turning to freeze them. "Not to deal with this-" He kneed another of the creatures that dared advance too close. "-But to get up to the Soul Palace."

Aya said nothing, remaining silent to listen as she fought off the advancing black drove.

"I know you probably don't want to risk your life by fighting Yhwach," he continued. "And I'm okay with that. But..." He stomped down on another of the small black beings with the sole of his right combat boot. "The way things stand, up there is probably the safest place to be." He rapped at five more of them with his fists, their bulbous bodies freezing almost instantly before dropping to the ground. "This plan is extremely risky... So you don't have to follow it if you don't want to. I just want you to know that if you do decide to help me-" His back found hers as they both simultaneously leapt out of the fray. Looking down, Sylvanus peered through his dark calm eyes at the girl. "-I'll make sure to protect you, no matter what."

Hesitating for a brief second, Aya stared forwards. Her deep purple eyes scanned the massive army of black creatures, as if she were carefully weighing her comrades words.

"Okay," she finally replied. "I trust you."

* * *

Elsewhere in the Silbern, three of the remaining grounded Sternritter were similarly occupied by Yhwach's assault.

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) was bearing the full brunt of the attack, utilising his control over ice and snow to freeze the creatures. So far he had been able to hold off over a thousand of them almost single handedly. What had taken Sylvanus and Aya time to realise had occurred to Snow almost immediately. His abilities were perfectly suited to keeping the tidal wave of black and yellow eyes at bay.

At the back of the group, Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) was gripping a wounded left arm. Too late had he realised that the strange creatures were not bound by the restraints of the physical world. After invading the second dimension and capitalising on his lowered guard, the miniature monsters had bitten a large chunk out of his arm.

As two of the creatures managed to break past Snow's defensive line, Basilisk released his arm and manifested a reishi bow into his right hand. Blasting arrows into the black homunculi, he repelled them back into Snow's freezing range.

Lifting both of her hands, Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) occupied herself with picking off the occasional creature that broke off from the main force to target her. The intensity of heat generated by her Heilig Licht was so high that every one of her attackers that was struck was instantly vaporised.

"Damn it, is there no end to them?" Snow asked, almost to himself. Kicking one of the small creatures, he watched it shatter. "I thought the shaking was bad, but this really is the cherry on top of a fantastic day." As he spoke, his top lip pulled up over his perfectly straight teeth in disgust. Distorting due to the motion, the burnt and cut skin of his face twitched and bled.

One of the tiny black beings attempted to leapt past him and dive at Clarimond, who was preoccupied with dispatching a number of its fellows on a separate front.

Turning towards the straggler, Snow thrust out his right hand and grabbed it, freezing it solid. "Oh no you don't, you little bastard!"

Before long, the trio had managed to quell the numbers. In the distance, they could still hear the persistent screeching of the creatures, but for the time being they were spared from the attack.

"It appears that those things are targeting anything with high levels of Reiatsu," Basilisk said, walking up behind his two comrades and gripping the red-stained sleeve covering his left arm. "It seems that they feed off of it."

Still holding a grudge against the brown-haired man, Snow ignored his fellow's wound and shot back a blunt reply to his question. "Then how do you explain this lapse in attack?"

"There's clearly something out there with a greater concentration of spiritual energy," Basilisk responded. His sky blue eyes narrowed and peered over the horizon. Still spilling out of the hole in the Shakonmaku, thousands upon thousands of the minute beings were swarming towards a single point. "Over there. Whatever they're being drawn to is in that direction."

"What do you think it is?" Clarimond asked, peering over at Basilisk through her one good eye.

"No idea," Snow interjected, taking a single step in the direction Basilisk was indicating. "But whatever it is, my guess is that's where the Shinigami are."

The monochrome-haired girl's hand started to twitch at the mere mention of the Soul Reapers. She fought back the urge to chew on her thumb. "So what are we waiting for?" she said, hurriedly. Her voice was urgent and strained, as she attempted to fight off her obsessive compulsion. "If they're over there, let's attack while they're distracted by those things!"

"No," Snow said, his voice slamming down with all the force and weight of a lead coffin. "We go over there, we're just as likely to be attacked by those little black bastards again. Not to mention, we'll also have to deal with the Shinigami. We'd lose our advantage. At best, we'd end up on equal footing with them."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Clarimond shot an annoyed glare at her new self-appointed leader.

Ignoring the spiteful tone of the woman, Snow elaborated on his plan. "We hang back and observe the situation. Call me crazy, but whatever it is that's drawing those thing to it feels dangerous. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that it will deal with the creatures itself... Once that happens, we launch a surprise attack. They're bound to be wounded after the fighting, and will definitely be off guard if they think they've won."

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by Basilisk emitting a single low hum.

Turning towards his fellow, Snow attempted to read him, staring into the brown-haired man's emotionless eyes. "What?"

"I was just thinking that if you weren't so lazy, and actually committed to a bit of work, you might have been promoted," he replied. "You've got a mind for tactics, and your moves so far have actually been very well thought out. When I was watching your battle with the Primera Espada earlier, I thought the same thing. Your idea to have Aya create distractions using her Schrift was very clever. Not to mention, you were the first of us to actually kill a Captain."

Snow scoffed once and turned away. "Maybe if you had considered that earlier, you wouldn't have used me as bait."

"I doubt it," Basilisk said, maintaining his flat tone. "It was the most logical course of action at the time."

Setting off towards the horizon, Snow didn't even bother to turn back around. "You and your damn logic."

* * *

As the creatures descended upon the Shinigami faction in even greater numbers, the vanguard of Lieutenants struggled to hold them off. Iba and Omaeda's Zanpakuto were physical types and did very little to actually damage the small beings, instead only being able to push them back.

The same, however, could not be said of Matsumoto's Haineko. Despite being able to easily shred the little black creatures, no matter how finely she cut them, they always either reformed or duplicated to create even more.

Urahara stood watching the battle unfold, in an attempt to figure out a plan of action. Beside him, Ukitake prepared himself to launch a Kido incantation.

Suddenly, a clear voice split through the area, with all the precision and grace of a whip. "Honestly. To think I had such high hopes for the dedicated members of the Gotei Thirteen."

The gathered Lieutenants all felt their bodies instinctively seize up in fear.

Without warning, the foremost wave of the black creatures were crushed beneath an unseen force. Flattened into the ground, dozens of their large yellow eyes burst from the strain.

"This is hilarious," the voice continued. "You actually believe that you can defeat them, simply by waving your swords around? There really is a much easier method. Why don't you watch me and learn..." Another hundred of the beings were driven down into the ground; liquidised into a black puddle by the force. "See. You can just use your Reiatsu to crush them."

Emerging from the black torrent of homunculi, bound to a pure white stone chair, Sosuke Aizen appeared. Flanking either side of him, carrying the furniture on which he sat, were six members of the Kido Corps.

"My my," he mused, curling his lips into his smile as his uncovered left eye flicked over the gathered individuals. "I expected more of a change after two years, but it appears that I hoped for too much. You're all just as flustered as ever." Turning his eye up towards Urahara, his expression hardened. "Kisuke. As always, a pleasure."

"What the hell are you doing out?!" Matsumoto shouted at the former Squad Five Captain. "You're supposed to be locked up!"

"Oh my, is that you Rangiku?" he said. The words returned the smile to his lips. "It's been far too long. When was it that we last saw each other? Oh yes, I remember. It was when we both said goodbye to our dear Gin."

"You bastard!"

Before she had a chance to charge the traitor, Matsumoto was held back and restrained by Iba.

"What are you doing here?" Urahara asked, finally speaking as he looked down at Aizen.

"I've been released."

"That's a lie!" Matsumoto shouted. "Who in their right mind would release you?!"

"I was the one that gave the order," arose the calm voice of Shunsui Kyoraku. Stepping out from behind Aizen's chair, his face was a mask of unreadable intentions. "I'm sure you'll all no doubt ask me to explain myself... But all I can say to that is: we need his power."

Turning his head sideways to look at the Captain Commander, Aizen broke into a smirk. "You flatter me."

Ignoring him, Shunsui continued. "I'm sure that many of you would think of this as some kind of betrayal of trust. How dare I release him. You think that it's a sign of me not trusting in your strength. But let me put this to you... Take a good look around yourselves at the state of the Gotei; at the state of the Soul Society. That should be all that matters to you. Everything you have to say against Aizen is just your pride talking. This is war... And pride does not win wars. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Yes, I have released a great evil... But only so that we can stop an even greater evil." He peered over the Shinigami from beneath the rim of his hat. "And after all this is won, if any of you still don't like my decision... Then you can challenge me."

Listening to his friend's speech, Ukitake broke into a soft and content smile.

Aizen glanced up at the kimono-wearing man and grinned. "Well then, it appears that negotiations are over. So if you would kindly remove these restraints from my hands and allow me out of this infernal contraption, we can get started."

Shunsui merely sighed. "No can do."

"And why not?" Aizen asked, curiously.

"I told you before, I was only given permission to use three keys," he replied. "One eye, your mouth, and your ankles. Unfortunately the Central 46 failed to provide me with the other twenty three."

Almost on cue, thousands more of the tiny black creatures began to pour through the hole in the overhead barrier and charge towards the group, like an enormous black tsunami.

"So you expect me to deal with all of this, while confined to a chair?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

Had he not been looking for it, Shunsui might never have noticed it. An ever so slight grin plucked the corner of Aizen's mouth. The air around him shifted a fraction.

Turning towards the other Shinigami, the Captain Commander shouted at them to get back.

Aizen looked over at the approaching monsters, a glint flickering across his unbound left eye.

"Hadō #90... Kurohitsugi."

A sound akin to the squeaking of an old wooden door ripped through the area. An instant later, rising up from the ground, enormous walls of black spiritual energy enclosed around the entire legion of black shapes.

Once the Kido finally shattered, the ground was revealed to have been compacted completely flat. Not a spec of the creatures remained.

"God damn..." Iba said, looking down at the cleared area from on top of the building he had retreated to. "He killed them all..."

"He really is a monster," Omaeda gasped.

Urahara narrowed his eyes and watched his former enemy.

_No..._ he thought. _It can't be... Has he really grown stronger, since he was locked away in Muken?_

Aizen broke into a cheerful sigh before looking down at the seat to which he had been bound. "To think that even after a Kido of that magnitude this chair has remained unharmed. It truly has been made of something sturdy... Say perhaps the same material from which Muken was constructed?"

"Very observant of you," Shunsui said, leaping from cover and landing next to the former Captain.

"However, something is strange..." Aizen continued. "Though I really tried with all my might, that Kido didn't cover anywhere near the area which I intended. I'm sure you'll be able to shed some light on that for me?"

"With pleasure," Shunsui said, looking down at the bound man. "I'm sure you've guessed that those restraints don't cancel out your Reiatsu. What they do in fact do is keep your enormous power contained within a pre-determined area. While you were down in Muken, that area was only a few feet from your body, however..." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small dial-like object. "Since you so graciously agreed to help us, I expanded its effective range." Looking down at the object, he glanced over this. "This is the sum total of thousands of years of the Soul Society's research into containing that which cannot die."

Aizen's smile broadened. "So that is how you're controlling my Reiatsu. Well, what do you say we stress-test this a bit? Turn it up to the highest setting, and we will see which is stronger; my Reiatsu or your restraints."

"As much as I'd love to..." Shunsui said, suddenly glancing to the side. "It seems we have more pressing matters at hand."

Stood on the edge of the destruction wrought by Aizen's Kido, two individuals stared down the Shinigami.

The first was a muscular man with grey hair and tanned skin. He wore no shirt and his body looked beaten and bloody. The second was a young girl. Her black hair fell across her face, partially obscuring her dark purple eyes.

"Wait," Sylvanus said, raising one hand and stepping forwards. "I didn't come here to fight you."

"Then what do you want?" Shunsui asked, cautiously observing the new arrivals.

"I want a temporary truce," Sylvanus replied, his face calm yet strangely intense.

"And what would we gain from this truce?"

"A way to enter the Soul Kings's Palace."

"Well that is very nice," Aizen called over, butting into the conversation; a smile clinging to his face. "But how, pray tell, do you propose that we go about this? And how do we know that we can trust you?"

"You don't," the grey-haired young man replied. "But from what I've seen so far, it doesn't seem like they can trust you either." He turned his attention back towards Shunsui. "I'm not saying that this will be permanent." Sylvanus clenched his fists tightly at his sides, as if fighting back an enormous amount of anger. "But trust me when I say that neither of us have any other choice. All I'm asking is five minutes. Once we get to the Palace, give us a five minute head start. After that, you're free to do as you please. Hell, you can even try to kill us for all I care."

"Why would you make me an offer like this?" Shunsui asked. "How does this benefit you?"

Without even blinking, Sylvanus Athala looked the Captain Commander dead in the eye. "I'm going to kill Yhwach."


	65. The Gate of the Sun

**Chapter 65: The Gate of the Sun**

Ichigo and his companions crashed into the streets of one of the Royal Cities. The impact of their landing shook the floating disk upon which the structure resided. At the last second, despite being heavily wounded, Orihime has manifested her Santen Kesshun, effectively diffusing the majority of the damage.

Rolling off of the triangular orange shield, Ichigo placed his hands on the ground and groaned. Lifting his head, he watched as the Chrysalis Palace fell in ruins. Tumbling through the blood red sky, the rubble plummeted down, past the cities and into the open air.

"Inoue..." Chad said, loosening the protective grip of his arms around the girl. "If you can manage, you need to heal yourself."

"O... Okay, Sado-Kun..." Orihime muttered weakly, peering through her swollen and bloody eyes at the giant man.

As the auburn haired girl activated her Sōten Kisshun ability, Ganju walked over to Ichigo and stared up at the falling ruins. "Where do you think Yoruichi was sent flying?"

"Don't know," Ichigo replied bluntly, rising to his feet. "And right now that's the least of our problems. In case you haven't noticed, the guy we were trying to stop just absorbed God."

"I know," Ganju said, in response. "I was there too."

"Sorry," Ichigo apologised and looked down at his feet. "It's just..."

"I get it." Looking down at his cousin from his slightly elevated height, Ganju's face softened. "He brought up your mother. Not to mention Ishida turning on us like that... I know... It's hard."

Glancing sidelong at the large man, Ichigo found himself smiling. As much as he hated to admit it, Ganju's words had helped him. He had needed someone to talk to him, to tell him, however indirectly that what he was feeling was normal.

"If you have time to sit around and talk like this, you have time to plan a counterattack," a voice cut through the buildings.

Stepping out towards the group of four, Yoruichi Shihoin clasped the bloody stump of her severed limb, in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Still in the process of healing her face, Orihime moved to transfer her Sōten Kisshun to the dark-skinned woman.

"No," the former Stealth Force Commander said, sternly. "I can wait. Concentrate on healing yourself first. We need everybody at a hundred percent."

Silently resigning herself to the order, Orihime continued to heal herself.

"We need to come up with a plan," Yoruichi said, sitting down amidst the group.

"Yeah," Ganju agreed, turning towards the woman and knitting his brows together. "Not to belabour a point, but we just got crushed. They were way stronger than we could have prepared for."

"As much as I hate to agree with you, you're right," Ichigo said, sitting down and crossing his legs. "I didn't have a chance to use my Bankai, but even if I had done... There's no way I could have taken on more than one of them."

"I feel the same," Yoruichi said. "Even at my best, and while using Shunko, I'd be in trouble if two of them attacked me at once."

"Did any of you feel it?" Chad suddenly asked, brushing past the issue of power and focussing on the strange feeling he had gotten, while in the Cocoon Palace. "The strange aura coming off of the pure white one?" He turned towards Yoruichi and continued. "You had already been thrown from the Palace by then, but I was wondering if the rest of you had felt it."

The three other members of the group all shook their heads. They'd been too preoccupied with focussing on Yhwach and Uryu.

"When it moved close to me..." Chad elaborated. "I felt... Exposed. As if all of my fighting spirit had left me, and I was relaxing. It was almost like I had willingly dropped my defences. And not just that... I don't know why, but I got the feeling that... That it could almost hear what I was thinking."

"Well that's just perfect," Ganju grunted. "As if we weren't outclassed enough already, they have someone that can read minds."

"Which means we're going to need to pick our battles carefully," Yoruichi said. "We can't just charge in and hope for the best. I suggest we lay low and try and catch one of the enemies on their own. Try and pick off their force one by one."

Finally finishing repairing the damage to herself, Orihime concentrated on restoring Yoruichi's missing arm.

"If only Urahara and the others were here," Ichigo said, solemnly. "It would have made all of this so much more simple."

"Well," Yoruichi dragged out the word and broke into a slight smile. "Don't count him out just yet. He's not the kind of man that would give up. He's probably on his way here right now."

* * *

"So what is this method of entering the Soul Palace?" Kisuke Urahara asked, walking up behind Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) as he led the large group through the streets of the Silbern.

"We call it the Gate of the Sun," Sylvanus replied. "It's what we used to transport ourselves between the Silbern and the Seireitei. It's also how we travel back and forth from the World of the Living."

"So it's a cross-dimensional portal?" Urahara asked, mildly impressed.

"Not exactly," the grey-haired young man replied. "The way I think of it is the centre of an enormous spiderweb. Every junction of the 'threads' around it is a place where Quincy have set foot. The Gate is able to home in on Quincy Reiatsu lingering in the area. After that, it's able to teleport the individuals to that location."

"Then why didn't Yhwach use it to get to the Royal Palace, earlier?" Urahara asked. "Kurosaki is part Quincy, and he was in the Soul Palace at the start of the second invasion."

"It only works with Echt Quincy," Sylvanus explained. "If the target Reiatsu is even the slightest bit 'impure', it's unable to connect to it."

"Which is why you're planning on using it now," Urahara said, smirking.

"Exactly," the Sternritter replied. "With Yhwach being the father of all Quincy, and with his Reiatsu being as massive as it is, it's the best target that the Gate could hope for." He paused for a second. "In theory."

Akon, walking beside Urahara, turned his head to look at the Quincy. "What do you mean 'in theory'?"

"I mean we've never used the Gate to go to the Royal Palace before." Narrowing his dark brown eyes, Sylvanus breathed out heavily. "Travelling within the Silbern, and back and forth from the Seireitei is relatively simple, because it's technically all the same space. The world of the living is a bit more difficult. It takes a lot of power to make the dimensional jump. Usually only Sternritter like myself, or people with high enough Reiatsu can manage it. Hueco Mundo is even more troublesome. The only reason that we were able to invade it was because we had Zeit powering the Gate. He had the highest Reiatsu out of our entire army, by a wide margin, and even then he struggled to transport all the necessary Soldat."

Urahara looked straight ahead as he listened, letting the information tick over inside his head. "So the reason why you said 'in theory' was because you don't know how much power we're going to need to make the jump."

"Exactly."

"And that's also why you need our help. You know that, on your own, you wouldn't have anywhere near enough power to activate the Gate."

"In as many words, yes," Sylvanus replied.

"Well then it sure is a good thing that you gave us a call," suddenly arose a voice, calling down to the group from an overlooking building.

"Ah!" Urahara broke into a wide smile. "It appears that the cavalry is here!"

Stood atop the structure were four figures. Set against the dark red of the sunset, their features were thrown into shadow.

Leaping down amidst the group, they finally came into view.

"I'm honestly surprised that you asked for my help," Ryuken Ishida said, pushing up his glasses with the tip of his middle finger. "I'd have thought that you would have been worried about me joining the enemy army."

"What are you talking about?" Isshin Kurosaki laughed, slapping his old friend on the back. "You're too much of a renegade to be any use to them. Not to mention you're not exactly one for taking orders, are you?"

Nelliel Tu Oderschvank, the former Tres Espada, merely sighed at the two men and turned towards Urahara. As she did so, the long curtain of her bright turquoise hair billowed behind her back. "We've managed to detain as many of the enemy foot soldiers as possible," she said. "I also managed to find this one," Nel pointed over her shoulder at the blue-haired Arrancar behind her, "after he ran off on his own."

Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez pulled up his top lip and spat to the side. Almost sixty percent of his body was covered in burns and bloodstains.

Recognising his previous opponent amidst the new arrivals, Sylvanus stepped forwards. "You-!"

Before he could attack, Urahara grabbed the Quincy around the top of his bare arm. "I take it you two have already met?"

"You could say that," Sylvanus spat out, not once breaking eye contact with the former Sexta Espada.

"I killed his friend," Grimmjow grinned, the skin of his cheek pushing against his mask fragment.

"And I beat you unconscious!" the Quincy shouted back, fighting against Urahara's restraint.

"Didn't quite manage to kill me, though, did you?" the blue-haired Arrancar sneered.

"I can fix that if you want."

"Go right ahead," Grimmjow smirked. "If you think you can manage."

All of a sudden, the former Espada's body fell limp. His eyes rolling back in his head, he slumped forwards. Stood behind him, Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi dropped an empty syringe before slinging the Hollow over her shoulder.

"Things were becoming complicated," she stated calmly.

The sudden actions of the Lieutenant, as well as her surprising strength, stunned Sylvanus into such a stupor that he forgot all about attacking Grimmjow. Blinking twice, he stood in silence for several moments.

"So, you're a member of the Vandenreich army?" Ryuken asked, stepping forwards and looking over his fellow Quincy.

Snapped from his daze, Sylvanus looked over at the bespectacled man. "Yes. Me and Aya back there are both Sternritter." He nodded his head backwards to indicate the young girl behind him.

"I remember hearing stories about the Sternritter of a thousand years ago," Ryuken continued. "I never thought that I would ever meet one of them. Tell me... What is your Schrift?"

Sylvanus cautiously observed the new arrival. He didn't trust him. He could tell that this man was an Orthodox Quincy; meaning that he might have held a grudge against him. "I don't think I want to tell you," he admitted. "We're allies for now, but who's to say that we won't end up trying to kill each other later. I'd just as rather not put myself at a potential disadvantage."

While his face didn't break from its calm appearance, Sylvanus could almost tell that the silver-haired man was smiling inwardly. "You're smart."

"No..." Sylvanus said, stoically staring past the group, in the direction of the Gate of the Sun. "I'm not..."

* * *

Watching the groups movements from a distance, Snow (The Yuki-Oni) narrowed his eyes. Hanging from the window of a high-rise building, a cold wind caught his ponytail; cut shorter during his earlier fight with Kenpachi Zaraki.

"That stupid bastard..." he whispered, under his breath.

_Does he really think that they're going to let him live, after he leads them to the gate?_ his mind's voice was just as sharp and harsh. _All he's doing is walking to his death. And for what? That he might have a chance at killing Yhwach? Idiot... Even if they do let you go, and you get that chance that you're looking for, all that's going to happen is that you'll die slower... More painfully._

Releasing the windowsill from which he hung, Snow landed on the sidewalk beneath the window.

_Trying to kill His Majesty? _he continued to think. _It's suicide. So what, he betrayed us. You managed to survive. Consider yourself lucky... Make your way to him, kill a few Shinigami along the way, and grovel. You might be lucky enough that he'll let you live._

Walking over towards Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) and Basilisk Jones (The Dimension), he nodded his head in the direction of the enemy convoy.

"Sylvanus is with them," Snow said. "He's leading the Shinigami to the Gate of the Sun."

"What the hell...?" Clarimond gasped. "Why? What's he thinking?"

"He's probably thinking of trying to kill His Majesty," Basilisk said, calmly. "That's the type of person he is. He wouldn't care if he were killed in the process, as long as he tried to do what he thought was right." He turned his attention in the direction Snow had indicated. "He's more than likely allied himself with the Shinigami, so that he can use their Reiatsu to power the Gate of the Sun."

"How could he..." Clarimond hissed between her teeth. "Joining forces with **_them_**." She put so much emphasis on the word 'them' that she began to shake. Her whole body started to tremble. When she eventually spoke again, there was venom in her words. "I'll kill him..."

"Hold it," Snow said, firmly. "Calm down... We can't just have you rushing in."

"Then what do you propose our next plan of action to be?" Basilisk asked, flicking his pale blue eyes over towards Snow.

"Well, if all the remaining Shinigami are heading up to the Soul Palace..." he began. "I think the best course of action would be to follow them from a distance. Get just inside the radius of the Gate, and hitch a ride up. The amount of Reiatsu they'll need to warp all the way up there will be huge, so the effects will cover a wide area."

Basilisk's flat voice rose up, again. "You're sure about this?"

Snow nodded. "Positive. We follow them up and then follow a hit and run strategy. Hit hard, get out and move to where Yhwach and the Schutzstaffel are."

Clarimond, still seething from the fact that Sylvanus had joined forces with the Shinigami, paused for several moments. "Okay. Fine."

* * *

Trailing at the back of the group, separated from the others by at least seven feet, the six members of the Kido Corps slowly carried the chair on which Sosuke Aizen sat. Their faces, while mostly obscured by their standard uniform, bore visible signs of annoyance, more than likely directed towards their charge. No doubt pleased with his timely release from Muken, the former Captain of the Fifth Division had spent the past ten minutes excessively talking.

"I honestly can't believe how soundly beaten you've all been," he chuckled. "To think that, in the span of several days, these Quincy have achieved everything I set out to do, and more. Your strength really does seem to have come up shot." He called out to the front of the group. "Wouldn't you agree, Mr Captain Commander? This truly is shameful."

Turning towards his friend, as they walked, Ukitake broke into a slight smile. "I think he's talking to you."

Sunsui merely groaned and attempted to hide his face beneath the rim of his hat. "I'm pretending not to hear him... Honestly, I'm almost starting to regret letting him out."

"You're just saying that."

He broke into a silent grin. "You know me too well." His face changed into a more serious expression, as he continued. "I don't regret it... But the fact that we've been pushed into such a position, where I don't regret letting that maniac out, bothers me. We've really found ourselves in a deep hole, here."

"Look on the bright side here," Ukitake said. "At least the World isn't coming to an end. For the life of me, I don't know how, but that's definitely a good thing. Not to mention, our numbers have definitely improved; what with Kurosaki, Ryuken and the Arrancars joining us." He looked back into the group and laid eyes on the cart, on which the restrained Vampirish Officers and Shinji were being transported. No less than twelve members of Squad Four were busying themselves attempting to cure them. "Now if only we could figure out a way to cure those guys..."

As if on cue, the infected Officers all began to spasm and thrash on the spot. Their eyes rolled back in their heads and their teeth began to chatter. Colour flushed back into their skin, and the red light emanating from their eyeballs receded.

Blood, glowing bright crimson, erupted from their open wounds and spiralled up into the sky, before disappearing over the horizon.

Rushing to aid their comrades, the other Lieutenants and Captains all broke into stupefied expressions. They had no idea what had just occurred. All they knew was that Ikkaku, Yumichika, Nanao, Izuru and Shinji were cured.

Unbeknownst to the Shinigami, Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) was watching them from the window of an overlooking building. Hidden in the shadows, she had absorbed the blood she had previously used to turn the Shinigami, in order to restore her strength.

_Damn it... _she thought, as she spied on the Soul Reapers. _That still wasn't enough to bring my power up. I can't attack them in this state... I need to find someone to feed off. Someone with strong enough Reiatsu._

Scanning the convoy of Shinigami with her deep red eyes, she suddenly felt her entire body tremble with anticipation. She could feel power. Massive power. And it was coming from the tail end of the group.

Turning her attention towards the back of the travelling party, her full lips curled into a sultry smile.

Sosuke Aizen, still bound to the chair, continued to ramble.

_Perfect!_

The group suddenly came to a stop.

Sylvanus Athala looked down at his feet. Laid into the ground was a large clear square of white marble. At the exact centre, forged from gleaming silver, was the ornate and decorative visage of a sun.

"We're here," he said, stepping onto the structure and pulling his hands out of his pockets.

"I recognise this," Urahara said as he too advanced onto the Gate. "During my surveillance of your city, I saw dozens of these dotted around."

"Of course," Sylvanus replied. "How else do you think we always managed to outrun you, and arrive at the battlefields faster?"

"Clever," the store owner grinned.

"You have that Reiatsu Amplification Machine you were telling me about?" the grey-haired Quincy asked as he bent one knee and placed his fingertips on the Gate.

"Where do you want it?" Akon questioned, waving forward a number of Squad Twelve Shinigami that carried the structure.

"Over there." Sylvanus pointed with his free hand, not once taking his eyes off of the silver Sun, set into the ground. "Get it started up as soon as possible." He turned his head and called over his shoulder. "Right! Everyone! I need you all to release your Reiatsu to the maximum!"

Shunsui pulled out the dial controlling Aizen's restraints and turned it up, so that his Reiatsu could reach the centre of the gate.

"Everyone ready?!" Sylvanus shouted.

Looking over at Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass), he broke into a slight smile and tilted his head. The young girl returned the smile and nodded her head, as if to indicate that she was okay.

"Okay!" the muscular Quincy soldier shouted. "Go!"


	66. Wahrwelt - The New World

**Chapter 66: Wahrwelt - The New World**

Three of the four Schutzstaffel were sat around the living quarters of one of the servants of the Royal Palace. Uryu Ishida sat amidst the group, and stood leaning against the far wall, staring out of the window at the deep red sky, was Nina Redwing (The Blood).

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) was lounging in a low-backed couch, staring up at the ceiling. Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, the large blonde man drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair. Shifting his body, he attempted to get comfortable. However, no matter what he did, he found himself unable to settle down. He felt restless.

Sitting next to the blonde man, Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) had tilted his body to the side. His head hung forwards at an uncomfortable angle. Soft snoring escaped his lips.

Pulling an irritated face, Haans stuck out his left leg and used his heel to kick his fellow in the shin.

Roused from his slumber, he broke into an embarrassed smile and apologised.

As this all occurred, Uyru found himself intently watching the gathered Elites. From the position of his chair, on the far right of the room, he could easily observe everybody present.

Leaning forwards, out of his own seat, Joseph reached out towards a bowl of fruit, set onto the low white coffee table. Picking up one of the polished green apples, he spoke across the room to anyone wanting to listen. "Does anybody else want one?"

Sat on the floor, in the corner of the room, Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) shook his head.

Nina, on the other side of the living quarters, flicked her eyes away from the window to look at her comrade. Lifting one hand, she broke into a slight smile and nodded at Joseph.

Throwing one of the apples over his shoulder, towards the red-haired girl, Joseph turned his attention to the blonde man. "Haans?"

"Go for it," the muscular man grunted, still preoccupied with staring at the ceiling.

As the fruit was tossed towards him, Haans didn't even bother to look at it. Stopping midair, as if gripped by an invisible hand, the apple was suspended over his face.

"Why do you think Beraht stayed behind with Yhwach?" Onmar suddenly asked, looking over his fellows from the corner in which he sat.

Taking a bite out of his own apple, Joseph spoke around the chunk of fruit in his mouth. "Beraht is His Majesty's Attendant." He swallowed and leaned back in his chair. "It's why you probably haven't seen him an awful lot, until we set off for the Palace."

"I thought Lenora was the Attendant?" Onmar replied, raising one eyebrow.

"Ha! That stupid bitch, the Attendant?" Haans scoffed, laughing to himself as he made the apple hovering over him spin. "You're joking, right? She was a glorified general. Good at strategy, I'll give her that." He snatched the fruit out of the air and took a bite. "But there's no way His Majesty would trust her with his powers while he slept!"

At this, Uryu's ears pricked up. Glancing over at Haans, he knitted his brows together. "What are you talking about?"

Turning his attention towards the newest member of the Vandenreich army, Haans peered at Uryu out of the corner of his sky blue eye. His mouth curled around his bright white teeth; the enamel glinting brightly in the light. "Don't you know the story?"

"What story?" Uryu asked, shifting in his seat and turing his whole body towards the Schutzstaffel.

Taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses on one of his lapels, Joseph looked over at the teenage boy. "His Majesty's story." He took another bite out of his apple, before hooking his glasses back onto his face.

"The Kaiser Gesang? Of course. Every Quincy knows the story. But I don't see what that has to do with-"

"No, no, no, no!" Haans shouted, throwing his arms out to his sides and allowing his apple to again float over his face. Waving his hands about, he purposely avoided looking at Uryu and continued to cry out in an ostentatious fashion. "Not the Gesang! Do you mean to tell me that you haven't even been clued in on just what Yhwach is?"

Uryu said nothing, watching the laughing Sternritter sat in front of him.

Watching Haans slip into a hysterical fit of laughter, from her spot next to the window, Nina sighed and proceeded to fold her arms over her chest. Taking a cue from the redhead, Onmar peered around the point of his jet black fringe that was resting on his nose and watched his comrade.

"Come now," Joseph said, speaking over Haans' laughter. "Why don't we educate him, instead of mocking the poor boy?"

Half-scoffing through his laugh, the blonde man finally leaned forwards as he turned to look at the bespectacled man. "I'm no good at explanations."

"Then I take it you want me to tell him?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah," Haans grinned. "Why not?"

* * *

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) approached the crouched body of Yhwach. Still kneeling in the centre of the Chrysalis Palace, His form was dwarfed in liquid shadow. Seeping from his skin and bubbling around His outline, it fell upon the now empty resin that had previously contained the Soul King.

"Beraht?" His deep voice boomed. It was slow and heavy, like the toppling of a tombstone. "Is that you?"

"You are correct, Your Majesty," the pure white being replied. Its voice was soft and calming. "You have completed your ascension?" It asked. "You have become one with the Soul King?"

"Yes. My Father is no more. Now... I am the Soul King. It has all come full circle."

"We do not move in circles, only upwards," the warming voice of Beraht said. "The path is a spiral. To arrive at this point, we have already climbed many stairs."

"Indeed we have," Yhwach stated, rising to His full height and turning around to face His subordinate.

Swathed in violet darkness, His entire form almost seemed to exude awe. Set into the darkness covering His face, a collection of large ethereal eyes looked out, as if staring into the fabric of the universe.

"However, even I am surprised," Yhwach stated. As He stepped forwards, the very ground beneath His feet began to tremble. "To think that absorbing the Soul King would grant me such an overflowing abundance of power."

Beraht remained silent, its clear white eyes and emotionless face holding the Quincy Kaiser's form whole.

With a wave of His hand, Yhwach summoned a pure white throne out of thin air. Setting Himself down upon it, He stared out of the ruins of the Chrysalis Palace at the rapidly setting sun. The final dregs of light were beginning to disappear over the horizon. Twilight was upon them.

"Beraht," He calmly stated. "My other half... Night is nearly upon us. Soon I will have to sleep."

The pure white figure bowed its head and gripped the rim of its wide kasa. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"So..." He began, casting His gaze across the Soul Palace. "As my last act before we exchange our positions... Is to remake this World... As I see fit."

* * *

_The child was born unable to see, hear, speak or even feel._

_It was born with no means of survival, unable to even feel the touch of the one who birthed it. Not even able to crawl towards the means of its own salvation._

_Yet, in spite of this, the baby was unafraid. Even if it had the means to cry, the child would not have shed a single tear._

_It knew that it would survive._

_The child was treated by everyone around it as a treasure. It was worshipped like a God._

_Gravitating around the baby, everybody that were to touch it was "healed"._

_The timid found themselves gaining great courage; those unable to master skills soon found themselves becoming experts; many afflicted with fatal diseases were cured; even individuals who had lost limbs found their bodies restored._

_This particular child had the ability to impart parts of its Soul._

_Through physical contact, the baby was able to transfer a part of its Soul to the recipient, "healing" wounds and ailments that could not be cured through one Soul alone._

_At the same time, everything that the recipient possessed, be it memories, abilities or even talents, were ingrained onto the fragment of the child's Soul. Thus, all of it would return to the child once their inevitable death eventually came to be. And as those fragments were returned to the child, it found its body slowly beginning to heal. It gradually began to be able to move, see, speak and feel._

_It was once its hearing returned that the child noticed something curious._

_A name._

_Those that worshiped the child had given it a very special, very sacred name._

_"Yh... wa...ch..."_

* * *

"That is what His Majesty is," Joseph said, his deep emerald eyes, like lillypads surrounding a dark pool, glimmered behind his half frame glasses. "A being who is able to distribute power as he sees fit."

Uryu swallowed hard as he listened. An uncomfortable lump had risen up in his throat at the mention of just what Yhwach actually was. He could practically feel the unease churning inside his stomach.

"When he sleeps," the Quincy Elite continued, "he once again becomes the Father of the Quincy. While he's asleep, he absorbs the fragments of his Soul that he distributed." Reaching the core of his apple, Joseph eyed the remains before consuming it as well. "When that happens, Beraht takes on the Mask of the Ruler. Their powers are exchanged."

"What does that mean?" Uryu asked, hesitantly.

"It means they're connected," Haans cut in, using his abilities to throw his own apple core out of the window, behind him. "Him and Beraht. Shit, all of us are. Not a lot you can do about it."

Uryu lifted one eyebrow, as if to question the statement.

Taking note of the action, Haans groaned. "Yhwach's blood is in all of us. And I don't mean in like a metaphorical, he is the father of all Quincy, way. I mean in a: we've all drunk his blood way." Leaning back, he clasped his hands behind his head and again stared at the ceiling. "How do ya' think we all got our Schrifts? We drink his blood, and whatever it is he gives us carves the letter onto our Soul." Flicking one eye over towards the youth, he watched him as he explained. "Shit, you've probably got a bit of him in you too."

A subtle shudder passed through Uryu's body. While it had gone unnoticed by half of the Sternritter, with Nina looking out of the window and Joseph preoccupied with eating an orange, Onmar and Haans both clocked it.

"Ya' hiding it well, but I know you've been given a letter," Haans said, grinning widely. "Don't wanna tell me, that's ya' own business. All it means is you're in the same ship as the rest of us." He chuckled slightly. "And ain't it a pretty ship?"

It was at this point that Onmar finally decided to chime in. "That's what this whole war is about." He shifted his seating position slightly. "During the first invasion, His Majesty scattered tiny fragments of his Soul. And now, he's regaining them. It doesn't matter which side suffers more losses... All of their deaths just serve to prolong his life."

Joseph swallowed a slice of the fruit and completed the statement. "All to stop him returning to the form of that baby."

Suddenly the ground beneath them began to shake. The walls began to glow brightly and expand.

"What the hell...?" Nina suddenly gasped, her chocolate brown eyes opening wide in shock.

What she was witnessing from the window was a sight to behold.

The entire structure of the Soul Palace was beginning to change. Spreading out from the floating disks, on which the Guards' cities resides, enormous bridges of white ice began to form. Reaching out into the empty sky, all five began to congregate at a single central point. Once that had been completed, the entire structure resembled an enormous Quincy Zeichen.

However that wasn't all.

The very buildings of the five cities began to glow and expand, much like the walls surrounding the Elite Sternritter. All of them were being broken down into their component reishi particles. Finally starting to reform, the glowing subsides and the reishi began to shrink back, revealing the buildings. Far from the standard styling of typical Japanese architecture, they were all pure white and took on a form astoundingly similar to the structures that composed the Silbern. Even the newly formed bridges of ice began to sprout buildings, like flowers growing in a white field.

As Nina and her fellow Sternritter watched this all occurring, they could feel the Chrysalis Palace in which they were situated slowly starting to descend. All the while, the walls and ceiling continued to change.

After the former Cocoon finally touched down at the centre of the Zeichen, the five Quincy decided to exit. Leaping out of the window, they all touched down on the white ice and looked up.

What they laid eyes on was the most awe-inspiring sight they had ever seen. The entire structure was so massive that it ruined their entire sense of scale. Extending up into the air, as if proclaiming itself the very realm of God, the castle encroached on the heavens. Formed from hundred of spires and battlements, the Palace's walls caught the light of the setting sun and glared brightly, shimmering like a blazing beacon.

The higher up they looked, the less the Sternritter were able to clearly discern; to the point that the buildings forming the uppermost levels appeared to be tiny specs.

However, one thing that remained visible through it all, perched at the very top of the construct, was Yhwach's Ice Palace. Exactly as Guillame DaVinci (The Friction) had designed.

"Holy shit..." Haans whispered, laughing softly under his breath. For the first time ever, his fellows witnessed him visibly stunned.

All of a sudden, the muscular blonde man broke into a hooting laugh. Chains and accessories jangling, he leapt into the sky with such force that a shockwave blasted behind him. Landing partway up the structure, he continued his fit of hysterics and began to tear through the numerous buildings, wanting to get a good look at everything there was to see.

"Well somebody's happy..." Nina muttered, not once taking her eyes off of the stronghold.

"I don't think I've ever seen him so ecstatic," Joseph added. "However you can't exactly blame him... This is completely awe-inspiring."

Even Onmar was so struck by the castle that he remained standing; seemingly forgetting to enforce his widely known quirk. "You're telling me..."

Behind the foursome, the sun finally completed its descent. Slipping over the horizon, the glowing red sphere dropped the Royal Palace into a chilling, milky light.

While it was true that night had descended, everything remained somewhat illuminated by a pale glow, thrown out by the white walls of the numerous buildings.

The fortress was even more impressive in the dark. It exuded a sense of intimidation, like it was guarding the gate to Heaven itself. A creamy glow escaped it, slipping into the night and shimmering, like a haunting beacon.

"What is this...?" Uryu asked, his eyes glued to the enormous structure.

"This is the final act of His Majesty, before He entered His sleep," suddenly arose an emotionless, yet comforting, voice from behind Uryu.

Stepping out of the night, its white form drawing whatever light nearby towards it, Beraht glided towards the group. Its eyes remained closed.

Tilting its head up towards the structure, its pure while face remained melancholy incarnate.

"The New World that He has created for us to dwell in," the strange being continued. "The Wahrwelt."

"Then I'm right in assuming that you have taken on the Mask of the Ruler?" Joseph asked.

"Power and authority are merely an illusion," Beraht replied. "What is it that dictates who is considered Ruler? Wealth, faith, strength? Power lays merely where people perceive it to be." Slowly, the being of indeterminate gender began to lift its eyelids. "I am merely charged with maintaining what is, and at the same time, that which is not. Sent by He who is called I Am."

Once the white figure had finished lifting its lids, the eyes finally came into view. Far from the solid white orbs, like clear marble, they each bore three separate irises and pupils, all of which glowed a deep scarlet.

"The Shinigami have invaded," it continued, looking as if it were staring off into a distant horizon. "We find ourselves at the cusp of conflict. Truly, I weep for those who's lives have and soon will be lost. And yet, I am glad for their peace and the end of their suffering. We are charged with the protection of He whom is all."

The figure passed through the group of Quincy with all the grace and weightlessness of a feather fluttering in the wind.

"I shall maintain vigil from beside His Majesty."

"So I guess it seems we're going to be stuck doing all of the work on the ground," Onmar muttered, bitterly. His lime eyes narrowed in the direction of Beraht, as if to indicate his annoyance.

"Fear not," the ethereal Sternritter replied, keeping its attention focussed on the gigantic castle. "For you shall not be alone."

Stepping out of the darkness, behind the Sternritter, four shadows entered the pale glow thrown by the Palace.

Beraht closed its eyes and began to float towards one of the spires of the Wahrwelt. "I hope that all of you will find peace."


	67. Dead or Alive

**Chapter 67: Dead or Alive**

Ichigo and his friends, noticing the changing of the environment, had moved to higher ground in order to survey the situation. All they could do was watch as the entire landscape began to warp and change. Accompanying the change in their physical surroundings, Ichigo noted an extreme drop in temperature; no doubt brought on by the ice used to construct most of the new structures.

"Damn it..." Yoruichi whispered under her breath. "This is bad... To think that within only a few seconds they managed to give themselves the home field advantage, again."

"Really?" Chad asked, glancing over at the dark-skinned woman. "They might be just as unfamiliar with this environment as us. Yes they're used to the style of buildings, but odds are they don't know the layout too well. If we're careful, we could slip past them."

"That isn't what I was talking about," Yoruichi replied. "Can't you feel it? The reishi in this whole area is the densest I've ever felt. It's throwing all of my Reikaku out of focus. I can't even distinguish between Reiatsu and reishi anymore. Not to mention, it's constantly fluctuating in pockets, meaning we can't make footholds to move through the air. I'm not even sure if I'd be able to flash step."

"That's not good..." Ganju muttered, swallowing hard.

Orihime suddenly spoke up. "Um, Yoruichi-San... What's happening to the Palace?"

Turning back towards the ruins of the Chrysalis Palace, the group all broke into expressions of shock as it slowly began to change shape and form into the Wahrwelt.

They all remained silent as the sun finally dropped over the edge of the skyline and darkness fell. Soon, however, they were illuminated by the soft glow being exuded by the building on which they stood.

"Who's betting that's where the enemy is?" Ganju asked, narrowing his eyes.

Ichigo glanced sideways, an exasperated and flat look on his face. "Did you really even have to ask that?"

"Shut up," the stocky man replied, grunting. "I was just trying to be helpful."

"So what's our plan of action?" Chad asked, ignoring Ichigo and Ganju's bickering.

"We stick together," Yoruichi replied. "Granted their senses won't be as confused as mine are right now, but Chad was right about them more than likely not knowing the layout. If we were to run into an enemy, we'd fare better as a group. We already know how easily these guys steamrolled the Royal Guard, so our best hope at beating them is combining our strength and taking them out one by one."

"That sounds like a good plan," Orihime chimed in, her bright tone attempting to hide her unease. However, in spite of her best efforts, the girl's face still betrayed just how hesitant she was.

"Unless..." Yoruichi suddenly said.

Ichigo glanced over towards her and lifted one eyebrow. "Unless what?"

"Unless we run into the blonde one," the dark-skinned woman said. Behind her head, her long deep purple ponytail was caught in the wind and began to thrash wildly. "Call it a hunch, but something tells me that he's probably the worst opponent we could fight, given our current roster of members."

"Because of what he did to your arm?" Chad asked, slowly.

"Yes." The woman's deep amber eyes glowed out of her face. "When he charged me, it felt like he had grabbed me around the arm and was trying to rip me apart."

"How is that even possible?" Ichigo's expression changed to that of mild horror crossed with shock. "He was more than ten feet away from you."

"That's what's worrying me," Yoruichi said.

"The others mostly looked like they were close-range fighters," Chad added. "Maybe mid range at a push. But... If this guy's powers are what I think you're thinking, it means that he could be just as deadly regardless of the distance we put between him and ourselves."

"Well then we better try our best to slip in under the radar," Ichigo said. Blowing past his face, the chilling wind tussled his bright orange hair.

* * *

The instant Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) activated the Gate of the Sun, light descended upon every member of the gathered party, filling their vision.

They all felt distant. Like their bodies were thousands of miles away. Their senses all whited out; a feeling of weightlessness washing over them.

In a flash, they all appeared in the Royal Palace.

At least, what they initially assumed to be the Royal Palace.

"What the...?" Sylvanus gasped, as he first laid eyes on his surroundings.

The structures around them looked almost exactly like those of the Silbern, which they had just departed. White buildings rose up either side of their group, flanking the courtyard in which they stood. As night had descended, darkness clung to the landscape.

"I thought you said we would be able to travel to the Soul Palace?" Akon asked, glancing over at the Sternritter. "So why does it look like we're still on the ground?"

"We should be there..." Sylvanus said, confused. "I don't understand... I know that I targeted the correct Reiatsu source... So why...?"

All of a sudden, a laugh arose from the back of the congregation. Sosuke Aizen, still sitting restrained to his chair, broke into a smug smile. "I can't believe that none of you have figured it out yet."

Urahara looked back at the traitor and narrowed his brows.

"You were all confused earlier when the tremors stopped, but I already had a theory working in my mind," Aizen continued. "And now that this has happened, it confirms it." His smile widened. "The Soul King is still dead... But at the same time, he isn't."

Kyoraku looked over his shoulder at the bound man. "What are you talking about?"

Aizen simply sat in silence, a smirk glued to his face.

"What he means is... Yhwach has become the Soul King." Urahara stared into the distance, his eyes glued on the Wahrwelt in the distance. It was shining through the night like a glowing mountain.

Everybody suddenly felt a current of fear course through their bodies; almost like they had all jammed their fingers into an electrical outlet.

"That... That's not possible...!" Nanao gasped, lifting her still weary body from the cart upon which she was laid. Horror gripped her features.

"I think you'll find that it is," Aizen chuckled.

"He must have remade the Soul Palace, to suit his needs," Urahara said, quickly surveying their surroundings. "I'm sensing some incredibly dense reishi around us. We more than likely won't be able to create footholds, and using Shunpo is almost definitely out... Not to mention..." He turned his attention back towards the Wahrwelt. "That it's probably where the enemy is dwelling."

Shunsui Kyoraku whistled between his teeth and gripped the rim of his hat. "Now that's just brazenly ostentatious. It's like they're giving us an open invitation. 'Here we are, come and get us, if you dare'." He turned towards Sylvanus. "Are your comrades usually so-?"

Kyoraku stopped short as he realised the young man was no longer there. He pulled a dumbfounded face.

"How long has he-?"

"Since he figured out that this was actually the Soul Palace," Jushiro Ukitake said. "He grabbed the girl that was with him and vanished."

Kyoraku sighed, glancing to the side. Comic frustration passed across his face, at the fact that he hadn't noticed the Quincy's departure.

Looking down at his feet, Kyoraku spotted the large familiar silver talisman of the Gate of the Sun. "So it seems that the enemy has decided to implement their travel strategy here as well." Looking up at the Wahrwelt, his expression darkened. "Which means the enemies coming to ambush us could potentially appear in our midst before we realise what's going on."

"Look on the bright side," Ukitake smiled. "At least our new friend didn't attack us before he fled."

"That's true," Urahara commented. "He was honourable. He kept his word... Not something that I would typically have expected of an enemy soldier."

"Likewise," Ryuken Ishida said, peering down through his glasses at the Gate. "He was a good example of what a Quincy should be."

Isshin Kurosaki chuckled as he listened to his old friend speak. "He reminded you of yourself?"

Ryuken flicked one eye over to look at Isshin. "Don't be ridiculous."

"It don't matter what he is," suddenly growled an aggressive voice from deeper into the group. Grimmjow Jeaggerjaques pushed his way through the Shinigami to the front of the pack, rubbing the back of his neck, where Nemu had injected him. "When I find him again, I'm gonna kill him."

Nelliel Tu Odelschvank glanced sideways at her fellow Arrancar. "You're as thoughtless as ever. He could prove to be an ally again later, and you want to kill him?"

"I don't have to listen to you, bitch," he spat out in reply. "That bastard knocked me unconscious. There's no way I'm letting him get away with that."

"You'd do well not to insult me," Nel replied, narrowing her eyes. "I don't think I need to remind you that I outrank you, Number Six."

"Those numbers don't mean shit anymore," Grimmjow retorted, breaking into a grin. His hand shot downwards and gripped the hilt of his sword. "Come at me and we'll see who's really the stronger one."

Tension filled the air as the pair stared each other down. Slowly moving away from the duo, a group of Shinigami cleared a space.

The clash, however, never came to be.

Cutting through the air, a steady stream of laughter arose from the back of the group.

Turning towards the source of the laugh, everyone watched Aizen as he leaned back further in his chair.

"Oh now this is precious!" the bound man said, smiling pleasantly. "Two Arrancar entangled in a pointless debate over who is superior. The answer should be simple. Neither of you. You're both mere insects."

The two former Espada both glared at their former commander.

All of a sudden, however, Grimmjow spoke up. Walking towards the chair, he kept one hand on his sword. "Insect?" He stopped several feet in front of the Shinigami, carefully remaining just outside of the effective range of his Reiatsu. Cocking his head to the side, the blue-haired man narrowed his eyes. "You're calling me an insect, but who's the one that's bound right now."

Aizen said nothing, maintaining his smug smile.

"Not to mention," Grimmjow said. "We were both defeated by Kurosaki. Which means that you're no better than me."

At this, Aizen's face twitched.

The tick of anger caught the Arrancar's attention. Grimmjow broke into a grin. "Ah. Looks like I struck a nerve."

Aizen's exposed left eye glowed with anger. He opened his mouth to speak. "You-"

There was a sound similar to that of a lemon bursting, when placed under extreme pressure. Blood trickled down the black restraints that bound Aizen's form. Grimmjow stepped back in shock.

The other members of the party all opened their eyes wide in horror.

Leaning around the chair that held Aizen, Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) had sunk her teeth into the former Captain's neck. An expression of blind ecstasy washed over her face. Deep crimson eyes rolled back in her head as blood bubbled around her mouth and began to gush down her throat. Moans of pleasure coursed out of her throat and vibrated across Aizen's skin.

"What the fuck...?" Grimmjow gasped, horrified.

Nanao gasped. Joining her, the other Officers previously infected and controlled by the woman felt unease wash over them.

Shinji, half risen from the cart, swallowed hard. "What the hell is she doing here...?"

Reaching around the other side of the chair, Gabriele rapidly grabbed Aizen's left shoulder and sank her fingernails into his flesh.

Finally releasing his neck from the grip between her teeth, she gasped and licked her lips. A dangerous and seductive light gripped her eyes, as her sultry voice took on an aggressive tone. "Oh, it must be your first time, **because you are tight**!"

"She was still alive?" Urahara gasped, staring wide-eyed at the woman as she drained Aizen.

"Still alive and kicking," she laughed. "And right now, I've never felt better!"

"She's draining his blood and Reiatsu," Kyoraku whispered, his voice shocked. Suddenly whipping his head around, he shouted orders to his subordinates. "Quick, someone stop her!"

With her free hand, Gabriele blasted out a dense shot of white reishi. Detonating against the ground, the blast was enough to get the onlookers to back off.

Beginning to drain more blood through her penetrating fingers, Gabriele let out a throaty groan. "Sorry, no can do. I won't let any of you interrupt my little meal." She licked the restraints that covered the right hand side of Aizen's face. Her eyes suddenly locked on to Matsumoto, stood watching the display. "Unless it's you." She breathed heavily. "Are you ever my type."

Aizen merely laughed, as he felt his blood leaving his body. "My my my... To think that someone would actually be foolish enough to target me."

Gabriele looked at her victim and smirked. "Talk big all you want, I've got you right where I want you. And now that I've got you, I won't be letting you go. I'll drain you until you're a shrivelled up, prune of a corpse."

"Oh is that right?" Aizen sounded amused. His left eye twinkled. "Well then, how about I help you out a bit." The Reiatsu around him suddenly grew more dense. "Make sure you don't let go now." As he spoke, he directed his attention towards Kyoraku and flicked his eye down to the dial held in the Captain Commander's hand.

Suddenly realising what Aizen meant to do, Kyoraku turned the restraints up to their highest setting.

Gabriele began to shudder, tingles running across her body, her mouth hung open and shallow gasps rocked her body. "Oh... YES!" Digging the fingers from her other hand into Aizen's right shoulder, she drained even more from the former Captain.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Aizen smirked. "Go ahead. Take as much as you want... However, I want something in return."

So enamoured with the enormous power filling her body, Gabriele didn't even register his words. Instead, her eyes again rolled back in her head. She continued to moan, arching her back and licking her lips. Jutting perversely from her mouth, the Sternritter's blood-smeared and jagged teeth glinted in the half-light.

Aizen's visible eye shined. "And that would be your hands."

Gabriele suddenly felt a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before. Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

The Reiatsu that emanated from Aizen was so massive that it escaped logic. And, due to the fact that it was restricted to within six inches of his body, it was also impossibly dense. So dense in fact that Gabriele's fingers began to erode.

They dissolved extraordinarily fast, almost like they had been dipped in highly concentrated acid. The flesh melted from her bones, which followed soon after. Spreading up her digits, over her hands and up her arms, the effects of Aizen's Reiatsu ruined her limbs.

Screaming in torturous pain, Gabriele stepped backwards and lifted her arms in front of her face. "MY ARMS!" she screamed. "WHY HAVE YOU DONE TO MY ARMS?!"

"Oh," Aizen mused innocently. "Did I make a mistake and take too much?"

As she was preoccupied with retching out bloodcurdling cries of pain, Ryuken summoned his Heilig Bogen into his hands and railed a bright white reishi arrow into the Sternritter's chest, blasting her backwards and away from Aizen. "Kurosaki!"

"Already on it!" Leaping into the air, Isshin lifted his Zanpakuto over his head. "Burn! Engetsu!"

Blue fire swathed his sword, burning up the air around it. His eyes narrowed as he targeted the woman.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The bright white and blue spiritual energy roared downwards, eclipsing Gabriele's form in an enormous explosion.

Landing back on the ground, Isshin pulled himself back into a combat stance and gripped the hilt of his Zanpakuto tightly. Putting all of his weight onto his forward leg, he readied himself to attack again.

Rolling from the smoke, burbling in agony, Gabriele attempted to regenerate her deformed arms.

Just as Isshin was about to charge towards the Quincy girl and attack again, a flash of white shot across the ground towards Gabriele, beneath Isshin's feet.

"San."

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) sprang up from the ground and grabbed Gabriele by the hair. Without so much as an explanation, the pair vanished into thin air. The instant they disappeared, a blizzard descended upon the group.

"They're using the Gate of the Sun!" Urahara shouted into the storm. "There may be more nearby!"

No sooner had he said that, dozens of narrow beams of light shot through the snow, aiming at the heads of all the Captain-level combatants. Noticing the beams, they all either ducked or dashed out of the way.

"Damn it..." Snow (The Yuki-Oni) hissed under his breath. His brain immediately whirled into overdrive. _We failed to kill any of them with the surprise attack. It's too dangerous to stay here, there are too many of them._ He looked over his shoulder, through the snow. "Clarimond, change of plans! Escape for now!"

Gritting her teeth, Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) fought back the urge to bite her hand and concentrated on transporting herself through the Gate of the Sun.

The two Sternritter and their accompanying blizzard vanished, leaving behind the large group of invaders.

"Everyone stay on your toes," Kyoraku warned. "They may have missed their chance to kill us with their surprise attack, but there's still a chance that they'll be back."

"Agreed," Urahara said. "We need to proceed with caution. The last thing we want to do is get separated. We're strongest as a group."

Nel suddenly broke into a worried, if slightly exasperated expression. "Oh no..."

Ukitake looked over at the green-haired woman. "What is it?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Grimmjow is missing. He must have run off on his own during the blizzard. Probably to look for Sylvanus."

"Damn," Urahara groaned, closing his eyes and throwing the entire top half of his face into shadow.

Isshin turned to speak to Ryuken about the situation, only to find empty air. "Oh dear..." He broke into a bemused expression before calling forward to the rest of the party. "Looks like it's not just the Arrancar. Ryuken's gone too."

* * *

"How the hell were you able to follow me here?" Clarimond shouted across the wide room. Around her, her voiced echoed off of the perfectly flat white walls.

"I was informed by your comrade about the nature of the Gate," Ryuken replied, his face remaining flat as he started to pace. Around his face, his silver hair fluttered ever so slightly and light flashed across his glasses. "So I was able to guess how to operate it myself."

"That's impossible," Clarimond shot back. "Only Quincy can activate the Gate. Echt Quincy at that."

Ryuken's eyebrows knitted together, across his forehead. "It seems that you have no idea who I am." Reaching into the jacket of his pale lilac suit, he withdrew a large silver Zeichen, hanging from a chain. "I am Ryuken Ishida. The Last Quincy."

Stepping back, stunned by the revelation, Clarimond's words vanished in her throat. Her right hand, missing three fingers, began to sporadically and violently twitch.

"Now..." Ryuken said, slowly and with great purpose. "I want you to tell me everything I want to know." He took a single step forwards. "Especially about my fool of a son."


	68. Friend

**Chapter 68: Friend**

_I used to think that being compassionate was enough. That having empathy to everyone, even those that I was ordered to kill, somehow excused me from the guilt of ending someone's life._

_I thought that as long as I respected them and understood their pain, I wouldn't feel accountable for snuffing out their existence._

_It was a philosophy that I lived by for a long time._

_From my childhood, and all the way up until I met him, this was what I believed._

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) and Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) appeared midway along one of the ice bridges, connecting the Wahrwelt to one of the Royal Cities. Landing on the top of a large domed building, they glanced back over their shoulders in the direction of the group of Shinigami.

Aya's dark purple eyes softened. As she tilted her head to the side, her black fringe fell over her right eye.

Looking down at the girl, Sylvanus sighed. "You weren't expecting them to be like that, were you?"

"They're... Just people," she whispered. "Just like us. They joke, and argue and talk..."

"You spent so much time listening to the others demonising them, that it must have come as a shock," he said, reaching up and scratching the black stubble around the back and sides of his head.

"Why weren't you surprised?" Aya asked, looking up at him.

"Because I already knew that they would be just like us," he replied, turning his whole body so that he was facing in the direction that they had been looking. "That's all everyone ever is. Just a person. Even in war. We're taught this 'us versus them' mentality, but all either of us are doing is acting on orders... Fighting to survive. Because if we don't we'll either be killed by the enemy... Or by Yhwach for insubordination."

Stunned by the man's insight, Aya paused for a moment.

"You thought I was just muscle?" Sylvanus broke into a strangely sad grin. "Jamina used to say the same thing."

"I'm sorry," Aya said in response, looking down to stare at her feet.

"Don't be," he said, placing one hand under her chin and tilting her head upwards. Despite the compassionate nature of the action, he strangely didn't look at her. "None of us could have done anything. And there's nothing we can do to change it."

"I thought you would have wanted revenge..."

Sylvanus clenched his fist tightly at his side and squared his jaw. "I do. But... Before I can do that there's something I need to do first." He looked up at the enormous structure of the Wahrwelt. "I swore that I'd kill Yhwach, and I'm not about to go back on that now."

"Sylvanus, I..."

"I know," he said, closing his eyes. "It's suicide. And that's why... You're not coming with me."

Aya's eyes opened wide, her mouth forming a clearly definable 'o' as she stepped backwards in shock.

"I told you that I would protect you and right now, the best way to do that is to keep you out of the fights. Right now... This is where it's going to get crazy. No matter what happens, the Soul Palace will be safe from the World ending, if I do succeed in killing Yhwach. So all you need to worry about is staying out of sight..." Lifting his right arm, he pointed his finger and indicated the end of the bridge closest to the Wahrwelt. "Once we reach there, turn left. The Shinigami may be having trouble with all this reishi, but I'm sure you can sense Kurosaki's group on the disk directly opposite from here. So the city to the left will be the safest place. Once you get there, find a building, hide and drop your Reiatsu way down."

"But... What about you...? You're..." Tears began to well in the corners of her eyes. "You're going to die!"

"I know it's a bad choice... In fact, it's an incredibly stupid choice." Resolve began to glow behind his eyes. The exposed muscles of Sylvanus' body all tensed at the same time; coiling tightly like piano wire. "But it's mine to make."

* * *

_This whole mentality of mine, that empathy somehow counteracted the guilt of death, was drilled even deeper into me when I trained as a surgeon. It was my own specific method of coping._

_Whenever I lost a patient, I would tell myself that it was okay. They may have died, but I did my best to save them. It was a terrible loss, but I was there to help the family though it; to support them._

_And so that became my life. I would miss exams, become late for theatre sessions, skip meetings with my tutors... All to lend support to the families of those that I had failed._

_Because if I could console them, show that I understood how they felt, then it would mean that I had been forgiven for stealing away their loved one._

_I think it was at this point that I realised the path that I had been walking down._

_I'd been so fixated on proving to everyone that I could understand them that I had no real connection with anyone. It was all just lip service._

_One day one of my patients family members came to me for advice. Like the fool I was, I thought that I could somehow relate to them and said something before I had time to think. Something that I still to this day can't remember._

_Honestly, I'm glad that I can't remember._

_I don't want to feel responsible for the words that drove that poor woman to kill herself._

_At the end of the day, I couldn't understand anyone._

_In all those years, all of those conversations; all of that counselling and empathy, and my attempts to read people. All of it had been for nothing._

_I hadn't a single friend._

* * *

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) continued to dash through the thousands upon thousands of buildings that formed the fortress that was the Wahrwelt. His laughter as he ran only paused when he needed to take a breath.

"This is amazing!" he cried out, tearing through the rooms and cackling. "It's all so shiny and new!"

Suddenly coming to a stop, he leaned against the wall bordering one of the numerous windows and stared down at the ground. The smile remained on his face and, past his heavy breathing, he chuckled to himself. His baby blue eyes began to twinkle, like distant stars in the darkness.

The scene that he observed from his window, from the height of the Wahrwelt, seemed a million miles away. Unfortunately, his location inside the castle restricted his field of vision to, at most, one third of the Palace.

His grin widened, distorting the blonde goatee that bordered his mouth.

Cracking his neck, Haans opened the window and leapt out, grabbing hold of an overlooking gargoyle. Swinging himself up, the Sternritter perched atop the stone structure for several moments, before beginning to scale the outside of the Wahrwelt. Reaching the highest point of the castle, he dug his feet into the side of the spire and grabbed hold of the curling hook of a decorative tile.

Jutting out into the open air, he allowed the wind to billow through his feathery blonde hair, while he surveyed the landscape. His eyes began to dart around, rapidly searching for details about his new home that he may have missed.

"Haans," suddenly arose a soft voice from beside the man.

Glancing sidelong at the new arrival, Haans laid eyes on the floating form of Beraht. It hovered midair, as if weightless. Not even the wind seemed to effect it, seemingly parting around the robes that the genderless figure wore.

"Was wondering when you'd show up," the blonde man grinned. "What's new, pussycat?"

"Enemies are approaching," Beraht said, its voice warming and smooth. Just as before, its eyes were closed. "We have need of your services."

Whistling between his teeth, Haans narrowed his eyes and peered down into one of the cities. "Yeah, I see them." He released his hand hold and dropped off of the roof, landing atop a gargoyle below him. "So squinty, what's the plan?" As if suddenly realising something, he groaned and smacked the palm of his hand into his forehead several times. "Don't tell me I'm gonna have to cut loose! I don't wanna destroy this place! It's so new and fun!"

"The root of all suffering is attachment," Beraht replied, stoically. "Do not become attached to this place. Rather, use it find your own enlightenment."

Groaning in an over the top manner, Haans bowed his head and let his arms hang down over the sides of the stone sculpture. "Fine!"

"Thank you," the pure white figure said, its voice soft and calming.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Haans scoffed, dismissing his fellow Quincy with a wave of his hand.

Squaring his jaw, he paused for a moment in thought. The swirling black tattoo beneath his right eye twitched ever so slightly. His tongue started to click against the roof of his mouth as he watched the Shinigami, his extraordinarily keen eyes discerning them even in spite of the massive distance separating them.

"As much as I want a good fight, I so can't be bothered to go after them when they're that far away..." he muttered under his breath. "I might as well wait for them to come to me. Hell, it's not like they're all going to die on the way here." Haans mouth twisted into his ever-recognisable toothy grin. "Plus, just look at all of them." He started to laugh. "Oh now this is gonna be great."

All of a sudden, his attention caught something moving fast through the buildings studding the top of one of the five enormous bridges. It appeared to be two individuals, running full speed towards the Wahrwelt.

"Well I'll be damned!" he laughed. "Two of those schmucks from the ground actually made it up here alive!"

* * *

_It all changed when I met him._

_He was closed off, but somehow that appealed to me. It made me want to get to know him; and not in the sense that I wanted to relate myself to him, as I had done with so many others._

_I did it because of genuine interest._

_He had something. Some kind of strange attraction that drew me to him, out of all of the other Sternritter._

_And yet, that wasn't the only thing. He had layers. Deeper secrets and habits and stories that he gradually opened up to me about. And in turn I found myself opening up to him._

_It was strange to have things the other way around... Or rather, for interest to be mutual. He cared about me, and I cared about him._

_Soon others were drawn to us. Sternritter that we would have never before associated with became members of our small group. We all developed such a strong bond that we need only to glance at each other to know what we were thinking._

_It was all so different to what I had forced myself to adopt._

_This wasn't self-imposed compassion._

_What we had was genuine... Real friendship._

* * *

Appearing within one of the hundreds of thousands of buildings that inhabited the Wahrwelt, Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) released Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire)'s hair and dropped her to the floor.

Horrific sounds, formed from a mixture of rage and agony, spewed from the naked woman's mouth and filled the room. Lifting her deformed arms off of the ground, she writhed and strained in an attempt to regenerate them.

"Your wounds will keep re-opening if you persist in screaming," Basilisk said, looking away from her and moving towards a nearby door. Opening it a crack, he observed their surroundings before shutting it again. "Try and calm down and your regeneration will go smoother."

"Shut up, you fucker!" Gabriele hissed, venom in her words. "Don't you-" She gagged in pain as the open wound on her stump of a left arm sizzled. "Don't you DARE tell me how to use my own powers! I swear to Yhwach and all that is Holy, that if you do that again, they'll be cleaning you up with a fucking mop!"

Basilisk ignored the threat and sat down at a table located in the middle of the room. Around them, the walls were throwing out a cool white glow.

"That's disintegration at a molecular level," he suddenly said, watching as the woman attempted to re-grow her malformed appendages. "We knew from the Daten that after he merged with the Hogyoku, Sosuke Aizen's Reiatsu was able to vaporise Konpaku that moved too close to him. However, we thought that it was only individuals with close to negligible Reiatsu that were affected." Basilisk's face remained an emotionless mask. "Either they used some kind of trick to make it more effective, or he has grown substantially stronger since the battles two years ago."

"Didn't I tell you... To shut up..." Gabriele hissed aggressively. Finally, her arms were starting to regenerate. Slowly but surely, the muscle and bone was reforming and lengthening until soon she was left with two fully functioning arms.

"Looks like you're nearly fully healed," Basilisk said, ignoring her warning. "That's good to see. At least you'll be of some use in the battles to come now. The last thing we want is to be deemed expendable again."

"I thought I told you to-!" Gabriele's words suddenly stopped short as she realised what her comrade had just said. "Wait... What do you mean 'deemed expendable again'?"

"By Yhwach," the almost robotic man said, in a matter of fact manner. He reached up and pushed the sharp points of his sandstone brown fringe out of his eyes. "He obviously didn't see much use for us, considering he killed the Soul King while we were still in the Silbern. Not to mention he also released all of those black creatures."

A look of confusion and panic shuddered across Gabriele's face. "No," she said, half laughing and with terrified and pleading eyes. "No, no, no, no. There's- there's no way that His Majesty sees me as expendable."

Obviously oblivious to just what his words meant, Basilisk continued. "That's not what the evidence suggests."

That statement is what set it off.

Gabriele's already questionable mental faculties began to crumble. The single crack of doubt spread across the dam of her mind, growing and forking until all of the unease she had felt towards Yhwach over five hundred years burst forth.

"He wouldn't do that to me," she babbled. "He couldn't! He saved me. He saved me and made me a Sternritter. I was the first! I was his favourite!" Her newly reformed hands shot up and clasped the sides of her face. The deep red eyes, set behind long lashes, opened wide and bulbous. "He just forgot I was down there! That's it! He forgot I was there and killed the Soul King! And then afterwards he must have remembered. Yes. That's right. Remembered me afterwards. But... But how? How could he have forgotten me? He wouldn't have forgotten me! And then he sent those... Those... Those... Things down there. Down there where I was! No. No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!"

Basilisk didn't know how to respond to the situation. Poorly-versed in even his own emotions, those of others often baffled him, and this was certainly no exception. Gabriele's ranting set him on edge in a way that he had never experienced before.

"See, it couldn't have been me," Gabriele continued, her bugged out eyes distant and vacant as she steadily began to rock back and forth; her fingers still gripping the sides of her face. "No, it couldn't have. It was everyone else. It's them who's expendable, not me! He tried to kill them, not me! He knows! He knows how much I love him! He saved me! WHY WOULD HE TRY TO KILL ME WHEN HE SAVED ME?!"

Her head suddenly turned with such force that a dull crack echoed through the room. She had dislocated her neck. Red fire burned behind her eyes as Gabriele glared at Basilisk.

"Why are you lying to me?" she whispered. "This isn't how it is! It's not how it's meant to be! Why?! Why did you tell me that, you piece of shit?!"

Basilisk, still at a loss for words, moved back slightly in his chair in an unconscious effort to put as much distance between himself and the woman as possible. For the second time in his life, the first being during the apparent destruction of the Universe, Basilisk was feeling fear.

Digging her sharp nails into the flesh of her head, Gabriele began to furiously claw at her scalp; almost as if she were trying to tear the horrible thoughts out of her head.

Screaming in anguished rage, Gabriele arched her body forwards and slammed her forehead into the floor.

"You watch!" she spat out, seemingly talking to no one and everyone at the same time. "You'll see! I'm not expendable! I'm his! His only one!" Gabriele rose unsteadily to her feet, white hot rage blazing from her eyes and her cheeks twitching sporadically. "I'LL SHOW ALL OF YOU!"

Kicking off from the ground with as much force as she could muster, Gabriele blasted through the ceiling of the building and rocketed into the sky. Screaming through the air, like a meteorite, she aimed for the Wahrwelt.

She needed answers.

* * *

**-Silbern; 5 Years Ago-**

_"Hey."_

_A young man walked across the wide entrance hall of Yhwach's ice palace, waving as he went. The target of his greeting peered up through his dark fringe and grunted._

_"I haven't seen you around before," the first young man said, lifting one eyebrow. "I take it you're new."_

_The second merely nodded, averting his eyes._

_"You're not much of a talker, are you?"_

_"Not really."_

_The first man laughed, finally reaching the new arrival and leaning against the wall beside him. "Hey, that's a start. I mean it's two words, but at least it's a start."_

_"You're in a good mood."_

_"What, and you're not?" The more cheerful of the two again broke into a laugh. He scratched at the side of the tanned skin of his neck._

_"No."_

_"And whys that?"_

_The gloomy young man glanced sideways at his fellow. "It's too cold here."_

_"Well I can't exactly argue with you on that." He paused for a second, standing in silence and admiring the decadence of their surroundings. "So am I the first one that you've met?"_

_Pulling his cloak around himself, the second young man shook his head. "I met a girl. A little girl."_

_The tanned man lifted a single eyebrow. "About ten or eleven years old? Purple eyes?"_

_"Mhmm," he hummed. "I think she hates me."_

_"I'm sure she doesn't hate you."_

_"She told me she hates me."_

_"Hm... Well how about that."_

_"You know you don't have to do this," the apparently anti-social individual muttered. His black fringe swayed as he finally turned to look at his fellow. "I don't want you talking to me just because you feel sorry for me. I'm better off on my own."_

_"You think I'm talking to you because I feel sorry for you?"_

_"Why else would you?"_

_"Because you seem like a nice guy." He broke into a grin and leaned his head back against the wall. "A lot different from the majority of the other Sternritter. I don't know; call it the atmosphere you give off."_

_The dark-haired man finally permitted himself a subtle smile._

_"My name's Sylvanus," the first man said, holding out his hand. "You can call me Syl."_

_Hesitating for a brief second, the other young man eyed the hand dubiously. "Onmar," he said, finally taking the offered appendage and shaking. "Onmar Gunther."_

* * *

Finally reaching the disk upon which all five of the bridges intersected, Sylvanus dug his combat boots into the ground. Dragging against the concrete, he slid several feet before eventually coming to a stop. Beside him, Aya did the same.

In the distance, they heard the explosion of Gabriele bursting out of the building, however neither so much as acknowledged it.

Turning towards the young girl, he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her. "You remember the plan?" Aya nodded. "Good. Run left and don't stop until you're a safe distance away."

Aya took a deep breath and fumbled with her words. "Sylvanus, I... I..."

"You don't want me to get hurt," he completed. "I understand. But... Don't worry. Whatever is meant to be will be."

Standing up straight, he turned towards the Wahrwelt. At the foot of the enormous fortress, Sylvanus could see a figure slowly making its way towards them.

"Now..." he said, addressing Aya. "You run and don't look back. That's an order." Sylvanus began to walk towards the figure. "I need to go and meet an old friend."

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) watched his friend advance down the white street.


	69. Freund

**Chapter 69: Freund**

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) stared ahead of him, through pale lime eyes. The wind tugged at his black and white uniform, stretching it around his limbs. Billowing up behind his head, Onmar's jet black hair fluttered through the night.

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) walked to meet his friend. The milky light thrown out by the Wahrwelt licked against the chiseled muscles of his exposed torso and arms. His face was set like stone.

"Onmar," he said, as the two finally arrived before one another. "I thought I wouldn't ever see you again."

"I thought the same thing, Syl," the black-haired man replied.

"So where do we go from here?" Sylvanus asked.

The Elite Quincy closed his eyes and let out a strained breath. "I don't know..."

"You know I'm heading to kill Yhwach," the taller man said, narrowing his deep brown eyes.

"And you know that I have to protect him," Onmar replied.

"I don't want to fight you..." Sylvanus said, regret plucking at his voice. An uncomfortable lump rose up in his throat. "I don't want the two of us to have to kill each other."

"Me either..." Onmar muttered, opening his fingers and looking down into his exposed palm, as if he were holding some kind of invisible object.

A slight smile suddenly plucked the corner of Sylvanus' mouth. "Do you remember when you first joined? When we used to spar together..."

Onmar laughed under his breath and closed his fist. "Yeah..."

"I kicked your ass so many times," the grey-haired man laughed. His words were cheerful, but his eyes held a faraway sadness to them.

"I think I must have got one win in there somewhere," Onmar chuckled. "I wasn't completely hopeless."

"Oh yeah," Sylvanus said, grinning. "The time you got me with that right hook. I felt like you'd rattled my damn brain."

"You can't complain," Onmar said, crouching to sit down on the floor. "How many times did you knock me out?" Reaching up, with his left hand, he rubbed the side of his head. "I still feel like I'm walking round with a permanent concussion."

"Why did we ever stop training together?" Sylvanus asked, joining his friend in sitting on the floor.

"I got my Schrift," the Elite replied, bluntly.

"That's right..." Sylvanus said, laughing slightly and leaning back to stare up at the night sky. "You were so worried that you were going to kill me."

"Can you blame me?"

"No, not really."

The pair sat in silence for several moments. The cold settled around them, chilling them to their cores. Onmar regretted discarding his cloak earlier in the day.

Sylvanus let out a deep sigh and splayed his fingers on the ground either side of him. "How did it come to this? The day before yesterday, everything was normal..."

"It's because our King is a right Royal Douche Bag," Onmar muttered, a playful twinge behind his voice.

Sylvanus laughed properly for the first time since he had arrived. "I don't suppose this means that you've decided to join me?"

"Sorry," Onmar said, smiling sadly. "While I agree with you, I'm not nearly as suicidal."

"I figured as much."

Silence again settled in, washing over the duo and gripping them softly.

"Jamina's dead... Isn't she?" Onmar asked, a weight clinging to his voice, like millstone had been chained around his neck, and was responsible for his seating on the floor.

"Yes..." Sylvanus replied, his voice just as heavy. "I couldn't protect her."

"First Tomoko, and now her..." the Elite said. He breathed heavily and closed his eyes. "We're the only two left."

"And now we have to fight..."

Onmar sighed. "Yeah... We do."

In a mutual acknowledgement that what was coming was inevitable, the pair both simultaneously rose to their feet. Taking up almost identical combat stances, they clenched their fists and their expressions darkened.

"No weapons," Onmar said, placing all of his weight on his foremost foot. "No bows or reishi blades."

"No Schrifts either," Sylvanus confirmed. "Just like back then. Just like when we used to train together."

Onmar nodded. "Don't let up. Not even for an instant."

"Because if you do..."

The pair broke into identical smirks. Their words overlapped in the final phrase of the statement. "You're dead."

* * *

The large party of Shinigami advanced carefully towards the glowing mountain of a fortress that resided on the far reaches of the horizon. They all remained on guard, unsure over when an enemy might attack.

"I've got to admit, they did a good job shaking us up," Shunsui Kyoraku said, turning his head slightly towards his best friend.

Jushiro Ukitake nodded. "That's a definite. We need to keep on our toes."

"Especially considering Yhwach is now the Soul King," Urahara said, moving into the conversation.

"That is indeed a bit of a problem," Kyoraku sighed, gripping the rim of his hat. "I still don't know how we're going to deal with it..."

"I'd have thought that would be obvious," Ukitake replied, with a smile. "We simply need to defeat him and place someone new in his place."

"You're as straightforward as ever," Kyoraku grinned.

The pair exchanged smiles for a moment, before the entire group continued their advance.

The rustling of robes and the patter of feet filled the dark street. Shadows thrown from their forms slinked along the white walls, like half-formed phantoms.

All of a sudden, a bright flash of light seared through the landscape.

Marechiyo Omaeda, stood in the middle of the party, fell face-first into the pavement. Blood poured from a newly-opened puncture wound in his left thigh.

Suddenly grouping together into a tight formation, around their downed member, the Shinigami and lone Arrancar hurriedly observed the area.

"He was blindsided from the left," Nelliel Tu Odelschvank stated, narrowing her eyes and drawing her sword.

"And that was a mid-range attack, so they must be close," Isshin Kurosaki commented. "If it was long range, one of us would have noticed it. Whoever it is, they picked their distance well."

"They're a damn good shot too," Shinji Hirako said, kneeling down next to Omaeda. He had only just recovered and, as a result, bore dark rings around his eyes. "They severed the tendons but missed every major blood vessel. This attack was to incapacitate, not kill."

"So they're compassionate..." Ukitake mused, closely surveying the surroundings. "That could play out to our advantage."

"I doubt it," Kyoraku said, in response to his friend's statement. "Just because they aren't aiming to kill doesn't mean they aren't open to inflicting some serious damage on us."

His chair positioned in the midst of the formation, Sosuke Aizen chuckled ever so slightly. "This is adorable, watching you all play strategy like this."

"Well if you have any ideas, I'd say now's the time to say!" Rangiku Matsumoto snapped at the former Captain.

A second shot of condensed reishi lanced through the night sky and pierced Yumichika Ayasegawa through the bottom of the abdomen. As the muscles atop his pubic bone were severed, he felt his body buckle forwards under its own weight.

Again the group closed ranks.

Watching the Shinigami from the window of a building, two streets away, Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) checked the watch on his left wrist. Behind the half frames of his glasses, his dark emerald green eyes started to shine, catching the light thrown out by the weapon that he wielded.

Hovering and rotating around the wrist of his right arm were two pure white spheres. Clasped in the fist of the same arm was a stout white bow.

"Try all you might," he muttered under his breath. "No matter what decision you make, it's always going to be the wrong one."

Firing another shot, he made sure that it had met its mark before stepping back into the shadows of the building in which he dwelled. After several seconds, he took up residence at a different window and again took aim.

"Group together, spread apart..." Joseph mused. "I can guarantee it won't end well. So why don't you just all let me take you out quickly. At least that way, none of you will have to die."

* * *

Sylvanus threw a straight right at his friend's face.

Barely flinching, Onmar tilted his head out of the way and took a bold step forwards, in an attempt to throw of his fellow's timing. Rearing his left shoulder upwards, he lifted his left foot off of the floor and moved to kick the grey-haired man in the ribs.

Anticipating this method of attack, Sylvanus kicked off from the ground and leapt back, out of range of the kick.

Giving chase, Onmar dashed after his friend and began to throw punches. Bobbing and weaving, Sylvanus avoided the swings before retaliating with his own flurry of jabs. Much like his best friend, however, Onmar managed to dodge every single one of them.

Both of them suddenly jumped away from one-another and landed at least a dozen feet apart.

Sylvanus, already both injured and fatigued before the fight had even started, was starting to breathe heavily. However, not without his own amount of strain, a slight film of perspiration clung to Onmar's face.

Throwing a harsh glare over his fellow, Sylvanus' voice held a bitter edge to it. "I thought we agreed not to use our Schrifts?"

Onmar said nothing. He glanced to the side, almost as if he were ashamed.

"I know how your powers work," Sylvanus said. "Me, better than anyone. We've been fighting for almost five minutes now and you haven't managed to land a single hit on me. You're faster than that. Why Onmar? Why are you holding yourself back?"

Again the black-haired man said nothing.

"Don't think that I don't know," Sylvanus continued. "I know that you constantly use your 'T' abilities on yourself. It's why you're always sitting down; your body is always being affected by nine times normal gravity." His eyes hardened. "You do it to unconsciously train your body. So that when you shed all of that weight and return to normal, you're monstrously fast and strong."

Onmar opened his hands at his sides. Staring into Sylvanus' eyes, his expression was sorrowful and filled with regret.

"I said I wanted you to fight me seriously." Changing his stance, Sylvanus clenched his fists even tighter. "You at least owe me that much."

Onmar gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. At his sides, his hands started to tremble.

In an attempt to capitalise on the opening, Sylvanus kicked off hard and threw himself at his friend. He lifted his right leg.

Regret filled his voice as Onmar spoke. "T-7."

* * *

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall behind him. Sliding downwards, he sat on the floor and closed his eyes.

As the wind fluttered past, the wounds he gained from Basilisk's attack earlier stung slightly. In response to the sudden sharp sensation, he flinched.

Turning his head to the side, he looked up at the Wahrwelt. Out of all of the Sternritter that had used the Gate of the Sun to flee the position of the Shinigami, he had appeared the closest to the gigantic castle.

Pulling his left knee close to his chest, Snow placed his left forearm atop it and stretched out his right leg. Leaning his head forwards, he kept his eyes closed as he assessed the situation.

_Well heading back towards the Shinigami is definitely not a good idea, considering I'm alone..._ he thought. _Basilisk and Gabriele escaped together, and Clarimond must have ran off on her own... Damn it. I need to regroup with someone strong._

His attention lingered on the mountain of a fortress in front of him.

Rising to his feet, Snow began to slowly walk towards the enormous structure.

_Well... That's as good a place as any, to start. The last thing I want to do its appear before His Majesty, without killing any of the Shinigami, but right now I'm out of options. All I need to do is stay out of his sight, and he won't kill me for being useless. Then, maybe, I could meet up with one of the elites._

Reaching a humongous white archway, Snow stared through the night into one of the numerous entrances to the Wahrwelt.

Just as he was about to take a step into the darkness, a deafening explosion ripped through the surroundings.

Stepping back, stunned, Snow whipped his head around in an attempt to discern the origin of the blast. As he did so, another shook the surroundings. From this, he was able to tell the location.

They were coming from his right, at least a mile away, outside another entrance into the castle.

* * *

Retreating backwards, Sylvanus felt his back suddenly meet one of the the outside walls of the Wahrwelt. The next instant, Onmar was in his face. The visage of the black-haired man, his right fist raised, filled Sylvanus' vision.

Hurriedly moving his head to the side, he avoided the punch.

As Onmar's fist missed its intended target, his knuckles ploughed into the white stone with so much force that it ruined the structure. The sound of a deafening explosion shook the air.

Rearing his shoulder up, Sylvanus swung his own right fist out, in retaliation to the attack. However, it did little more than prompt Onmar to back off; his knuckles meeting nothing but empty air.

Not wanting to lose the chance for another attack, on his moving opponent, Sylvanus leapt high into the air and lifted his right leg. Bringing the limb down from above, he attempted a drop kick on his friend.

Onmar sidestepped around the attack.

As the heel of Sylvanus' boot slammed into the concrete, a second explosion erupted out into the area.

"I told you to fight me seriously!" the tanned man shouted, turning about himself and lunging at Onmar again. "Do you really have so little respect for me?!"

As he easily dodged his best friend's attacks, Onmar maintained a look of regret on his face.

One of Sylvanus's punches suddenly grazed the side of his cheek. Reflexively responding with a left hook, Onmar moved to punch his comrade in the face. Having already anticipated the attack, Sylvanus jumped backwards, out of Onmar's range.

"You think I can't handle you, below seven times normal gravity?" Sylvanus asked, again setting himself into a tight stance. "Don't BS me! If we're going to do this, if you're going to have to kill me... Then kill me at your best!"

"Syl, I-"

"Am I not your friend?"

The question stunned Onmar. His eyes, like pale waxy limes, opened wide. He took several seconds, stunned and silent, before he broke into a slight smile. "Yeah... You are. You're my best friend."

Sylvanus returned the smile. "And you're mine." His entire expression softened. "I know why you're doing it. You want to give me a good fight. You want us to be evenly matched... Like we used to be. But..." Tears filled his eyes. "You know this isn't like it used to be. And..."

"And you want me to go all out," Onmar replied, softly. "You want me to finally fight you with everything I've got. So that you can die without any regrets."

Unable to form words, Sylvanus nodded his head.

He was already pushing his body far beyond it's limits. His limbs felt so heavy; much heavier than they had done when he was fighting off the black creatures earlier in the day. He was running on fumes, and he knew it. The hit that he had managed to graze Onmar with was a fluke. Even though his friend was still seven times heavier than he usually was, Sylvanus was severely outclassed. Every single time he had dodged an attack, it wad almost purely through luck.

Biting his tongue to fight back the weary tears, Sylvanus finally managed to articulate a sentence. "It's a shame you can't join me..."

Onmar closed his eyes. "Yeah..." Raising his hands by his sides, he braced himself.

Sylvanus broke into a sad smile. "Go on... Do it."

"T-1."

* * *

**-Silbern; 3 Years Earlier-**

_Onmar sat on the low bed, pushed into the corner of the room, watching Sylvanus sleep._

_Laying over the round table in the middle of the room, the large tanned man had passed out drunk. The silver jug, which once might have contained wine, rolled slightly along the flat surface as Sylvanus stirred._

_Breaking into a slight chuckle, Onmar thought back to how he found himself in this situation._

_Sylvanus had burst into his room, after his latest workout, and proclaimed that he needed a drink. No more than an hour later, he was passed out over Onmar's table._

_Slightly tipsy himself, Onmar leaned to his left in order to get more comfortable, and accidentally toppled over. Now laying sprawled on his bed, he laughed slightly under his breath and pushed himself up using shaking arms._

_"Damn..." he muttered, slurring his words ever so slightly. "Four times normal gravity feels'a lot heav-yer when'ya drunk..."_

_Stopping suddenly, midway through his rising, Onmar looked over towards Sylvanus and studied his friend. He was starting to snore._

_Finally sitting up, Onmar scooted over to the edge of the bed and pulled himself unsteadily to his feet. Staggering over to his passed out friend, he leaned against the table and looked down at him. Reaching out with his right hand, he patted his unconscious comrade on the top of his head gently._

_All of a sudden, a thought occurred to him._

_Stroking Sylvanus' ash grey hair softly, Onmar broke into a subtle smile._

_"T-2."_

_Stirring slightly, Sylvanus opened his eye and groaned. "What're ya doin' up there?"_

_"Checking to see if yer still 'live," Onmar replied, through slurred speech._

_"I'm drunk, not dead," the tanned man replied, with almost identical diction. "Stop patting me on the head, you weirdo..."_

_Laughing slightly, Onmar meandered back to his bed and fell face-first onto it. Chuckling at the display, Sylvanus lifted his body and leaned back in his chair. "Man..." he groaned. "Either I'm already starting to get a hangover, or I really overdid it training today... My body feels heavy as shit..."_

_Onmar, still face down in the covers, smiled. "Maybe..." he said softly._

* * *

Onmar vanished without a trace. He moved so fast that there was no indication that he had even twitched. He was simply gone.

Reappearing, behind Sylvanus, he placed his hand on his friend's bare shoulder.

So this is it... Sylvanus thought to himself. This is how I die...

However, the inevitable snapping of his neck didn't come. Onmar's hand just continued to sit there gently against his skin.

"I can't join you..." Onmar said, softly. "But I can't bring myself to kill you. I'm not going to kill my last friend. So the best I can do... Is at least give you a fighting chance."

Before Sylvanus could question just what his friend meant, he felt Onmar's grip tighten.

"T-1."

A sensation unlike anything Sylvanus had ever felt before washed over his body. The aching of his overworked muscles stopped. His head grew clearer. He felt weightless; like a feather fluttering in the wind.

"What the...?"

"About three years ago..." Onmar explained. "I used my T abilities on you. I doubled the effects of gravity on your body... To give you the same kind of training as me. Over time, when you were asleep, I would gradually increase it."

Turning around, Sylvanus stared at his best friend, dumbfounded.

"This whole time... Your body has been under the effects of six times normal gravity."

"But why did you-?"

"Because that's what best friends are for," he said, smiling gently. "We help each other."


	70. Hello, Again

**Chapter 70: Hello, Again (And Goodbye)**

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) was sat cross-legged at the bottom of a wide and ornate staircase. The pale half-light thrown by the luminescent walls licked against its solid white form, giving the being the appearance of a marble statue. Its eyes were closed and its hands hands were resting upon its knees.

Barely any breath escaped from Beraht's partially open lips.

It was deep in meditation and had been for the past half hour.

The room in which it sat was ostentatiously huge. Decorative pillars rose up from the floor at regular intervals, framing the space and almost seeming to meld with the numerous carvings etched into the walls. At the top of the staircase, that extended up behind Beraht's back, was the entrance to Yhwach's throne room.

Stood against the far wall of the cavernous space, waiting on Beraht's orders, were four hooded figures. One of them shifted its position, the motion resulting in a gentle jangling sound clacking through the still air.

All of a sudden Beraht's eyes shot open, revealing the triple crimson pupils of The Almighty. Its lithe form almost seemed to float upwards, until it was standing. In spite of the movement, its white cloak didn't so much as rustle.

"We have received a visitor," the pure white being said, its calming voice filling the room.

In response to this, the four shadowy figures began to move towards the entrance. Their movements were strong and purposeful.

"Wait," the lucid voice of Beraht said, stopping the individuals. "Do not shed the blood of those whom once were our comrades. A peaceful solution is what is truly required."

The largest of the four figures nodded beneath its hood.

"Prepare for the arrival," Beraht said, almost seeming to glide towards the large door. "I shall receive her myself."

* * *

**-Silbern; 6 Years Earlier-**

_Nina Redwing (The Blood) had been a member of the Sternritter for almost six months, before she met another of the Star Knights._

_Naturally inquisitive, she had taken to wandering the streets of the Silbern, in search of any secrets that it might hold. Whenever she found anything of particular interest, Nina would make a note of it and observe for as long as possible._

_As a result of this, she had yet to attend a single meeting of her fellows._

_Walking out of her lodgings, her scarlet hair fluttering up behind her, Nina pulled her white Sternritter mantle around her body, to fight off the cold. Chocolate brown eyes vanished behind dark lashes as she blinked twice._

_Trudging down the wide street in front of her, the young girl approached a small group of Soldat._

_Recognising her from the garb she wore as a Sternritter, the gaggle of soldiers stepped aside and snapped into a rigid salute._

_Passing by the men, Nina didn't so much as bat an eyelid. While she typically enjoyed the company and conversation of many Soldat, she had better things to deal with than grunt-level Quincy._

_The cross hanging from the silver chain, looped around her wrist, tapped against her thigh as she walked. The regular tapping set a rhythm to her thoughts, allowing her mind to run easily. Like clockwork._

_"Well well well," suddenly cooed a voice, from outside of Nina's peripheral vision. "I've not seen you around here before."_

_Slowing her pace, until she eventually came to a complete stop, Nina paused for a moment before turning her attention towards the source of the voice._

_Leaning out of a window, overlooking the street, was a beautiful young woman. Propped up on her elbows, her ample cleavage was pushed forwards and her slender neck extended out into the chilling air. Tumbling down over her shoulders were locks of jet black and crimson red hair. Her skin was milky pale and her eyes almost seemed to shine a deep blood red._

_Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) broke into a charming smile._

_Flicking her vision over the woman, Nina observed her in silence for a moment. "You're a Sternritter."_

_"Oh?" Gabriele laughed. "How could you tell? I'm not wearing the cloak."_

_"Your uniform is customised," Nina pointed out. "You don't see many Soldat moving away from the status quo like that. Not to mention the aura you exude."_

_"You're a clever one," the woman mused, leaning further out of her window. "Pretty too... But I think you'll find you're wrong about one thing."_

_"And what is that?"_

_"I'm not a Sternritter... I'm the Sternritter."_

_"So I can deduce from that that you were the first," Nina replied, narrowing her dark brown eyes._

_"You're quick," Gabriele again chuckled. Turning her head to the side, she glanced over her shoulder and lifted one eyebrow. Indicating the inside of the room, she continued: "Would you care to join me?"_

_"Join you in what?"_

_"Well it's a bit of a special occasion," Gabriele cooed. Her voice was smooth and sickly sweet, like treacle. "It's my first time meeting you, so how about we have a bit of fun together?"_

_"Sorry," Nina replied, bluntly. "Not exactly my idea of a good time. Let's just say you're not my type."_

_"Ooo catty," the achingly pretty woman replied. "But not exactly what I was offering. This isn't my room."_

_"What do you mean?" the scarlet-haired teenager questioned, finally starting to show some kind of interest in her fellow Knight._

_"Why don't you come up and see for yourself?"_

_Her curiosity piqued, Nina jumped up towards the ledge of the window. Grabbing the uppermost frame, he landed on the windowsill and looked into the room. As she did so, Gabriele stepped to the side, to allow her a better view._

_Nina had to fight back the urge to be sick._

_Strewn across the room were several limbs and torsos, no doubt belonging to three extraordinarily unlucky members of the Soldat. Blood was smeared over every surface, clinging to them in a crimson sheen._

_Bound to the bed, no doubt saturated with blood and fluids of all variety, was another Soldat. His eyes were wide in fear and his teeth chattered around the makeshift gag stuffed into his mouth._

_However, the thing that truly horrified Nina was the smell. At only sixteen years old, she hadn't yet experienced the odour associated with large quantities of blood. And there was enough sloshed around the room to fill a bathtub. It smelt curdled and metallic, overpowering her senses and sending her brain reeling._

_"What on earth...?" she gasped._

_"I don't usually like to share," Gabriele said, pleasantly. "You should think yourself lucky."_

_Moving slowly, Nina turned her attention towards the woman, now leaning against the wall next to the window. Every movement was calculated and purposeful; deliberate, in order to properly convey just how disgusted she was. "Why did you do this?" Her voice was low and intimidating._

_"Oh, are you talking about the mess?" Gabriele asked, seemingly oblivious. "Don't worry, I can clean it up."_

_As she said this, Gabriele's red eyes began to glow. Every drop of the blood covering the room began to pulse and throb. Attracted the woman, almost like she were a magnet, the red liquid rolled along every surface, towards Gabriele._

_The smell, however, continued to linger in the air._

_Her disgust still not quelled, Nina kept her voice flat. "You can control blood?"_

_Seemingly delighted that Nina had taken an interest in her, Gabriele twisted her painted red lips into a smile. "I can consume it. My Schrift is V, for The Vampire."_

_At the revelation, Nina's left eyebrow raised astutely. Turning her entire body towards Gabriele, she lifted both of her hands. "Can you show me again?" Forming a small and thin blade out of ambient reishi into her left hand, she pricked her right index finger._

_As a single bead of blood formed on Nina's pale skin, Gabriele found herself unconsciously licking her lips. She had never tasted the blood of a fellow Sternritter before; and this girl was giving it to her willingly._

_The drop of blood fell through the air, splashing against the white floor. Almost instantly, it shot up towards Gabriele's face and slipped between her lips._

_Moaning ever so slightly, the multi-tonal haired woman savoured the flavour. "You're delicious."_

_"Tell me..." Nina asked. "Do you do this a lot?"_

_"As often as I can get away with," Gabriele grinned. "Why?"_

_Nina blinked once._

_Almost immediately, Gabriele doubled over in pain. Her entire body grew sluggish and started to cramp. "What the-?!_

_Ignoring the groans of pain from her comrade, Nina walked over to the bed and untied the bound Soldat. Helping him to his feet, she pointed him to the door. As the terrified soldier ran, Nina turned back towards Gabriele._

_"You killed and tortured innocent men for fun?" the redhead asked, calmly._

_Gabriele ignored the question. "What did you do to me, you bitch?"_

_Nina took a step forwards and looked down at the now bent over woman. "You said you can consume blood? Well I can control it. Density, pressure, type. Those sort of things. All it takes is one drop of my blood inside you and I have you at my mercy." Crouching down, Nina stared into Gabriele's eyes. "This is going to be the last time you kill Soldat. Do you understand me?"_

_"You think you can give me orders?" Groaning in agony and clutching her chest, Gabriele glared at the teenage girl. "I will end you!"_

_Nina blinked again. Another searing pulse of pain shot through Gabriele's chest._

_"If you had said that before you ingested my blood, I may have believed you," Nina replied. "Now we could do this one of two ways. First, we could leave it at this and a least tolerate each other from now on. Or second, I could shut off blood flow to your entire body. I really don't want to kill you... So please pick the first one."_

_Hissing between her teeth, Gabriele forestalled her pride and managed to nod._

_Dispelling the effects of her Scrift, Nina stood up and made her way back to the window._

_"I won't forget this," Gabriele called after her._

_Nina kept her back to her fellow. "Trust me... Neither will I."_

* * *

Gabriele's naked form landed in front of the Wahrwelt with as much force as a meteorite. Concrete was crushed underfoot, levelling the area into a large crater. Stepping out of the wreckage, she stormed up the steps to the entrance of enormous fortress. Her bare feet slapped against the floor, the sound echoing through the cavernous entrance hall.

"I thought you'd show up eventually," suddenly came a voice, from one of the dark alcoves that lined the hall.

Stepping into the light, Nina Redwing pulled her hands out of her pockets.

All but ignoring the scarlet-haired girl, Gabriele continued on her furious pace.

"He's not going to respond, even if you do make it to Him," Nina called out. "He's asleep. All you're going to find up there is Beraht."

Stopping short of the next staircase, Gabriele balled her fists at her sides. Her whole body started to shake and tremble.

Turning towards the younger girl, tears filled Gabriele's eyes. Her sharp teeth were clenched tightly together. A mixture of rage and sorrow gripped her features.

"So, you finally found out how little His Majesty cares about us?" Nina said, noticing the expression as she continued to walk towards the naked woman.

"Us?" Gabriele spat back in reply. "You think I give a shit about how he sees any of you?"

"Well you're as self-obsessed as ever," Nina muttered, moving ever closer to her comrade.

"I don't need this from you right now," Gabriele replied, her voice half-sobbing and saturated with rage. "You have no idea about any of this. None!"

Finally within several feet of the distraught woman, Nina knitted her brows together. "So then, why don't you tell me?"

Nina's question, despite the comforting nature of the words, was not motivated by a want to help her fellow. Rather, it was derived from her naturally curious and inquisitive nature. She wanted to know what had driven her comrade into such a shaken mental state.

Nevertheless, Gabriele took Nina's words to be of a sympathetic nature; something she had rarely, if at all, experienced. Stunned, she was at a complete loss for words.

"Unless you'd rather I leave you to your business."

"I..." the naked woman stumbled her words for a brief second. "I just... I never thought that it would be me."

Nina didn't reply. Instead, she folded her arms and waited patiently for her fellow Sternritter to continue.

"He saved me!" Gabriele sobbed, almost forcing out the words past the tears. "Why would he abandon me like that when he was the one who saved me?!"

"What did he save you from?" Nina asked, lifting one eyebrow.

"Everything!" the Vampire shouted. "All of it!" Reaching up with her hands, she started to claw at her scalp, almost as if she were attempting to claw her own memories out of her skull. Rivulets of blood ran down the sides of her face, mingling with her tears and thinning. "From all of the damn misery I suffered before he found me!"

Sensing that she shouldn't pursue the matter of Gabriele's past any further, Nina continued to listen to the woman's hysterics.

"And now... Now! He's thrown me away like I'm nothing!"

In spite of her distaste for the individual in front of her, a strange sensation started to pluck at Nina's chest. Watching Gabriele cry her heart out elicited the last emotion Nina expected to feel for the woman. Compassion.

Walking towards her distraught comrade, Nina felt the brittle died blood that still clung to her uniform begin to crack. Lifting one hand, she slowly inched the appendage forwards until it came in contact with the woman's bare shoulder. Gripping Gabriele's soft skin gently, the redhead attempted to comfort her.

Flinching back from the touch, Gabriele stopped crying and looked Nina in the face. Blood red met chocolate brown in a stunned and tear-filled gaze.

"Honestly," Nina said, slowly. "You're the last person I expected to find myself doing this for." Knitting her brows together, she took a deep breath. "I can't imagine how you're probably feeling, but... I guess this is the most I can do."

Gasping out several shaky breaths, Gabriele opened her tear-filled eyes wide and stared at the girl. "Why are you doing this?"

"If it had been this morning... Then I don't think I would have." Nina's calm expression faltered for a brief moment, before she was able to compose herself. "But as things stand now... I know what it's like to lose something precious. And it looks like your faith in Him was something you held dear." Removing her hand from Gabriele's shoulder, she continued to stare sympathetically down at her fellow Quincy. "Don't get me wrong... I still can't stand you, or forgive you for all of those Soldat you killed... But call this a kindness. A consolation for the miserable life you must have lived; that made you what you are."

Patting Gabriele on the shoulder one final time, Nina turned to walk away.

"So... What?" Gabriele asked, her voice shaky. "You're just going to leave me here now? To wallow in my own self-pity?"

Without even turning around, Nina responded. "There's nothing else I can do for you. Past this, no matter what I do I'll only just make you feel worse. So whatever you choose to do next, is up to you." Turning her head, she glanced back over her shoulder. "But... If I had to say one thing, it would be: Don't go up those stairs. You won't like what you find."

After that, not a single word was said.

Nina left silently, through the enormous doorway that Gabriele had used to enter the Wahrwelt. All that remained were the dregs of sound, left behind from her footsteps.

Her spiteful expression softening, Gabriele watched her comrade leave. A mixture of confusion and content passed across her face.

Minutes passed, as she slowly sank to her knees. Sitting down, her body began to loosen. She felt completely jaded. The cordial of emotions that had coursed through her body over such a short period of time had shaken her to her core, stunning her into a stupor. Added into that was the fact that Nina, out of all of the other Sternritter, had been the one to console her.

"If you are feeling troubled, I would advise seeking peace and solace through meditation."

Beraht stood over her, its pure white form almost making it seem spectral in appearance. Seemingly weightless, the strange entity had descended the staircase and approached her from behind without even the slightest hint of movement.

When it received no response from Gabriele, the ethereal creature continued. "In every trial, let understanding fight for you. Only then can one understand the natural order."

Gabriele's bottom lip quivered. Her voice was quiet and unsteady, yet still held a note of defiance to it. "And what is it that you want me to understand?"

"That everything is changeable. Everything appears and disappears; there is no peace until one passes beyond the agony of life and death."

"By 'everything disappears', are you talking about His Majesty's feelings towards me?" she retorted, her voice growing steadily louder and more assertive.

"Perhaps," Beraht replied. "And perhaps not. One can never be entirely sure, in matters concerning the soul. This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds."

"So you're not going to let me see him?"

"To 'see' is an abject concept." Its voice was soft, betraying nothing. "You may see His Majesty; and yet you may also not. Through the eye of your mind, you are able to see Him as you wish for Him to be remembered. And yet, in matters concerning physical sight, you may find something altogether unpleasant and unexpected. Such is a fate I would not wish upon you. Thus, if need be, I will have to restrain you."

"But I need to!" Gabriele suddenly shouted. "I need to see Yhwach! To see if it's true! To see if he really never cared about me!"

"Do not dwell in the past, or think of the future. Concentrate the mind on the present moment. Then I am sure you shall find what you seek."

Grinding her teeth together, Gabriele chose to ignore the Elite. Rising to her feet, she clenched her fist at her sides so tightly that blood began to drip from between her digits and splash against the floor.

Inside her head, Gabriele's mind battled against her emotions. She knew that the moment she stepped foot in front of Yhwach, she would regret it. She knew that no matter what she did, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference. She was already deemed expendable; nothing was going to change that fact. She knew that Nina had been right in her warning.

However, no matter how much her mind fought for the side of logic, nothing was able to quell the emotion gripping her chest like a vice.

"You know what..." she managed to utter, fighting back her overwhelming emotions. "You're right. I'm not going to dwell on the past. I'm going to focus on what's happening now. And right now... I want answers."

Moving so fast that it surprised even her, Gabriele whipped her body around and dashed towards the staircase. Flashing past Beraht, her feet glowed, throwing out the bright blue and white glare evident of Hirenkyaku.

Within mere moments, she had scaled the staircase and was stood within the vast throne room. At the centre, atop a large and ornate staircase, sat Yhwach. His face was dwarfed in shadow; the blackness that covered His eyes swallowing up all light that dared impose upon it.

Gabriele had to stifle a gasp. This was not what she had expected in the slightest. The feeling that she was getting from just standing before Him was utterly terrifying.

In spite of His slumber, words eased themselves from the Quincy Kaiser's lips. "Gabriele... Is that you?"

She said nothing, yet again at a complete loss for words. His mere presence was intimidating; suffocating.

"No doubt you have come to question my decision. My choice to abandon you."

Swallowing hard, to remove the lump in her throat, Gabriele took a step forwards. As she did so, four hooded figures, previously out of her line of sight, stepped out of the shadows and into view. Paying them little mind, she finally found it in her to talk. "Why?" she gasped. "Why did you leave me?"

Yhwach's face didn't so much as twitch in emotion. His voice was low and final. "You were no longer necessary."

"But..." Gabriele's voice caught in her throat. "I... I loved you..."

His response was calculated and low. Each word slammed into her with so much force that Gabriele felt like she was about to be swept off of her feet. "I never loved you."

As His icy words were driven into her heart, Gabriele let out a chilling scream. Her mind shattered.

Black and red spiritual energy spewed from her body, engulfing the immediate vicinity and drowning her form. Tearing and snapping sounds could be heard from inside the display as her body contorted and cracked.

Emerging from the blaze, the monstrous form of her Zweite Stufe: Însângerată Deicid took on an even more horrifying form than when she had fought against the Captains. Jaws with hooked mandibles covered her body, snapping out into the open air and jutting sprigs of bone emerged from her translucent skin, cracking from the strain of her movements. Her fingers and toes had fused together into large black talons, and almost all of her hair had fallen from her head. Visible through her almost transparent breasts, her heart pumped furiously. Deformed flesh and bone protrusions emerged from her back, taking on a form similar to that of a pair of wings.

As she moved within arms reach of Yhwach, she raised her right hand-

And stopped short. Her entire body froze up.

One of the four hooded figures hissed from beneath its hood.

Almost instantly, her entire body was crushed. Her head was twisted off of her body while, inside her chest, her heart was completely pulverised; pierced by her own ribs.

Käthe Gabriele Elfriede Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) fell to the floor, finally dead.

Another of the hooded figures stepped forwards and looked down at the body. "All to protect His Majesty."

* * *

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	71. 間違った動き

**Chapter 71: Machigatta Ugoki (The Wrong Move)**

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) arrived at the inner-dwellings of the Wahrwelt just in time to see Gabriele's mad dash for the stairs.

Watching her disappear up the incline, Snow swallowed hard and turned his attention towards Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A). The pure white entity stood solitary, not even turning around to call after the distraught woman.

"You knew she would do that," Snow said, beginning to walk towards the individual.

"I knew a multitude of possibilities," Beraht replied. "With these eyes granted to me by His Majesty, many futures have become visible. The challenge is in predicting which will come to pass."

"But you still didn't try to stop her?" The effeminate man was now within arms reach of the Elite Sternritter.

"My words would have done nothing," Beraht explained, its voice soft a smooth. "I had already offered her my condolences and advise on the matters, and yet she still decided to continue along the same path."

Suddenly, a horrific scream erupted from the top of the staircase, followed by the heavy sound of a sickening crunch.

Noting the sound, Beraht closed its eyes and bowed its head. "The Vampire is no more. She has left our plane of existence. But do not grieve for her. Rather realise that in her passing, she has finally found peace."

Snow's face was utterly stunned. His pale blue eyes, like chips of dirty ice, opened wide. "How is that possible...?" he asked. "She was one of the strongest seven. Yhwach shouldn't be able to move when he's asleep. So..."

"Was it Haans?" Beraht said, completing Snow's train of thought. "No, it was not. He lays in wait for the invaders. Those responsible for her death are those entrusted with the duty of protecting His Majesty."

As if responding to the white being's words, four cloaked figures began to descend the steps from Yhwach's throne room. They moved slowly, all of their movements deliberate and calculated.

"Who on earth...?"

As the foursome reached the two Sternritter, they gradually came to a stop. Beneath its cloak, one of the beings emitted a strange metallic sound; like the rattling of chains.

"They are the final frontier of protection for His Majesty, ensuring that His life, and the life of the Universe, remains intact."

The largest of the hooded figures folded its arms across its chest. "We have always been responsible for guarding Him; whatever form He may take."

Either side of the individual, two of the other cloaked shadows nodded with determined purpose. The fourth remained silent, breathing heavily in and out of the hood that covered it.

"Well," the largest and most vocal of the cloaked Guards said. "That is the case with three of us." It indicated the curious figure that was currently preoccupied with rattling out strangled breaths. "Our comrade, however, is a different matter."

At the mention of the individual, Snow grew curious.

Peering into the darkness thrown over the final mysterious figure, by the cloak that it wore, a current of fear coursed through Snow's body. Having finally laid eyes upon what dwelt in the shadow, he unconsciously took a step backwards.

Turning towards Beraht, his horrified expression didn't falter. "Beraht, what have you done?"

The pure white Sternritter opened its eyes, revealing a total of six blood red irises.

"What is necessary."

* * *

The Shinigami formation tightened yet again as another precise shot of reishi tore through Ikkaku Madarame's right bicep. Dropping Hozukimaru, as his tendons and muscles were severed, he hissed in pain and darted his vision around the area.

"Damn it!" he shouted. "Where the hell are they coming from!?"

"Every time we seem to pinpoint where the shots originate from, the assailant chances location," Jushiro Ukitake said, maintaining calm. "And as long as this keeps up, we're sitting ducks."

"I could offer a solution, if you'd like," Sosuke Aizen mused, a smile tweaking the corner of his mouth.

Kisuke Urahara broke into a slight smile. "You don't need to ask. Since when were you the kind of man to ask for permission? If you've got an idea, just say."

Aizen simply laughed.

Another reishi arrow caught Akon across the calf of his left leg, causing him to drop to his knee.

Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) broke into a half-hearted sigh as he watched the group readjust their formation and turn their attention in the direction his last arrow had come from.

Having already changed location, he was now situated inside a large semi-circular building, ten streets over from the Shinigami. At only five floors up, his position wasn't obvious or elevated. Rather, he was concealed from their eyes by the buildings and was firing at them through the gaps in the structures.

This was a strategy that he had been using for the majority of his ambush. His choice of targets wasn't tactically motivated, instead determined entirely by location.

Up until this point, all of the Captain-Level fighters had instinctively avoided being caught directly in line with any gaps in the buildings.

_What I need is one of them to step out of line,_ he thought. _If I can seriously injure one of the Captains, they're going to panic and drop their guards. All I need is someone to misstep._

Peering down the length of his bow, Joseph closed one of his emerald green eyes and took aim. This time his vision was trained on the level of the kneecaps. Whoever moved into his line of sight wouldn't be walking after his next shot.

As the Shinigami party moved cautiously, observing their surroundings, Shunsui Kyoraku glanced sideways at the high-backed chair that Sosuke Aizen sat in and broke into a grin. "I think I know what your suggestion is."

Aizen pulled an amused face.

"You think that one of us needs to leave themselves open, to act as bait; and once the enemy attacks them, that person would be able to spot them. Am I right?"

"In as many words, yes."

"Well!" Shunsui drew his two blades from the gaudy sash tied around his waist. "We're already at a disadvantage, so why not!"

Realising what his friend was thinking, Ukitake whipped his head around and shouted. "No! Don't do it!"

Unperturbed, Kyoraku leapt into the air, high above the white buildings. "Come and get me!"

Stunned by the Captain making himself an easy target, Joseph blinked once. "He's insane..."

Just as he was about to ignore the obvious bait, however, the Elite Sternritter heard the Captain Commander shout: "Found-!"

Joseph hurriedly railed an arrow into Kyoraku's chest, cutting him off and stopping him from alerting the other Shinigami to where he was. A burst of bright blue and white reishi erupted from the Captain's abdomen as he was blown back through the night sky.

Turning around, to tactically retreat to another location, Joseph's eyes snapped open wide behind his half-frame glasses.

Stood in front of him, the Shikai blade in his left hand raised, was the Shinigami that Joseph had just shot. The second his eyes fell on Kyoraku, the Captain froze.

Instinctively jumping backwards, the Schutzstaffel drew a Seeleschneider from his belt.

_What the hell was that?_ Joseph's mind whirled into action. _He closed the distance between us in an instant, and I didn't even notice. If I hadn't been lucky enough to turn around when I did, he would have cut me down. How did he do it?_

"You're good," Kyoraku said, pulling a mildly impressed expression. "If I hadn't known otherwise, I'd have said you'd been playing Daruma-San Ga Koronda your whole life."

Joseph's confusion must have been evident on his face, as Kyoraku pulled a surprised expression.

"Oh, so you haven't?" He reached up and scratched at his chin. "Well I guess that's to be expected. You do have a different culture from us. However, putting that aside..." He glanced to the side at a figure stood by the doorway. "You've gotten really good at playing Nanao-Chan. To think that you were able to follow me, even despite being injured."

_So it's one of his games, _Joseph thought, as he listened to the Captain Commander and his aide converse. _However, in the Daten gathered on the battle against the Arrancar he never used anything like this... I need to bide my time and wait until I'm able to figure out more about how it works._

"Nanao-Chan," Kyoraku said, addressing his Lieutenant yet not taking his eyes off of the Quincy. "Go and tell the others that I'll be taking care of this myself. Get them to go on without me. You too. I don't want you to get caught up in this."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not going to leave you on your own," Nanao replied. "Once I've told them, I'm going to be coming back for you." She walked towards one of the windows and stepped up onto the windowsill. "So don't you dare lose while I'm gone."

As the young dark-haired girl leapt out into the open air and landed on a neighbouring building, Kyoraku found himself with a subtle smile gripping his lips. "She gets more and more like Lisa every day..." Turning his attention back to Joseph, his eyebrows arched upwards on his forehead. "You're very polite. You didn't try to attack her when she left... Not to mention, you even let us have our conversation."

"It would have been rude," Joseph replied, standing up straight and tilting his head to the side. In spite of his relaxed posture, however, he did not deactivate the reishi stream of his Seeleschneider. "Plus... It gave me a chance to think about how the technique you used just now operates."

Kyoraku broke into a grin. "And what have you figured out?"

Joseph began to pace back and forth, watching the Shinigami out of the corner of his eye. "It's a children's game; I know that much. And it seems to revolve around locating people, travelling distances, or getting behind your opponent... So I'm guessing that it's something like tag, marco-polo, or maybe even British Bulldog."

Kyoraku whistled between his teeth. "You're a clever one... And you clearly played a lot of games as a kid."

"Not really," Joseph replied. A faint emotion passed across his face, that Kyoraku couldn't quite place. "But I watched a lot of them."

"That's sad," Kyoraku said. "Playing games is fun and helps you to make friends. If you'd like, we could play together for a bit? I'll even tell you the rules, to make it fair."

The Sternritter smirked slightly. "Something tells me that this isn't going to be quite so innocent. Though I do appreciate the sentiment to make our battle fair. However, not to sound rude, but... I'm going to have to turn down your offer."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because if you explain how your abilities work, then I'm going to have to respond in kind," Joseph explained; his eyes starting to twinkle. "And right now I have a few things I'd like to be kept secret."

Kyoraku raised an eyebrow. "Sneaky."

"I like to think of it as strategic," the Quincy replied, breaking into a friendly smile. "However, if you'd like I can give you my name and letter? Seeing as I already know who you are."

"Well, if you insist."

Maintaining his smile, the Sternritter lifted his Seeleschneider. "My name is Joseph Fehler. And I was given the letter M."

"You fought Captain Kuchiki during the first invasion," Kyoraku said, referring to his now deceased comrade.

"I did indeed," came the reply. His expression softened slightly. "I was sorry to hear about his death. He was a good opponent."

"Empathy for an opponent isn't something I'd expect from someone like you."

Joseph shrugged and emitted a slight sigh. "I'm still human." His entire body span around so fast that his visage blurred. The tip of his Seeleschneider stopped inches from Kyoraku's throat. "But just because I'm human doesn't mean that I'm a fool. You should have picked your time to move better."

The Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen broke into a bemused expression. After a few seconds, he leapt away from his opponent, to gain some distance.

"I saw you slip into your own shadow," Joseph said. "And yet your form still stood in front of me. So you must be using your Reiatsu to confuse my Reikaku. Plus... You didn't instinctively jump back after I made a slash at your throat... Which leads me to believe that you couldn't." He narrowed his dark green eyes discerningly. "This game is like Red Light, Green Light. Though we used to call it... Let's see... In English, it would be: Grandmother's Footsteps." He took a step forwards and readjusted his stance. "You try and sneak up behind me, and if you manage to hit me then you win... But you can't move while I'm looking at you, or you lose."

"Damn, I can't believe you worked it out so quickly." Despite his cheerful attitude, Kyoraku was beginning to show minute signs of unease. "And you spotted my Kageoni on the first try."

Joseph smirked. "I'm observant."

"Tell me about it. I get the feeling that I'm going to have to pull out all the stops if I want to have any hope of beating you."

* * *

Nanao Ise leapt off of an overlooking building, touching down on the outer edge of the group of Shinigami.

"What happened?" Shinji Hirako asked, directing his attention towards the Lieutenant.

"The Captain Commander has decided to face this opponent on his own," Nanao replied. "He said to move on without him."

"Okay, fine," Shinji said, bluntly. "Let's go."

Nelliel Tu Odelschvank turned towards him and knitted her brows. "Are you sure? If we were to all attack the enemy at once, we would have better chances of winning."

"No," Ukitake said, calmly. "If Shunsui says that he will handle it, then he will be fine. So let's leave it to him and move on ahead." Reaching up with his right hand, he gripped his shoulder and grimaced ever so slightly. "The most we can do is trust him."

"Exactly," Shinji said, turning towards the Wahrwelt and beginning to walk. "So if all of you understand that, then let's get going."

Isshin Kurosaki nodded. "Kyoraku has always been like that. He's strong... I can't imagine him losing."

"And another thing," Ukitake added, breaking into a gentle smile. "If he were still here... Old man Yama would say the same thing. To put our faith in him... Because that is the job of the Captain Commander."

"My my," Aizen said, half laughing as he spoke. "You're all awfully sentimental today. It's almost making me wish that someone cared this much about me. Almost."

Rangiku Matsumoto pulled a distasteful face. "You're mocking us."

"Oh no, no," he replied, tilting his head to the side and smiling. "I'm being serious. I swear that you all think of me as some kind of heartless monster. I have feelings. If you cut me, do I not bleed?"

"I can think of a lot of people who want to cut you," Matsumoto shot back.

"You're being very rude today, Lieutenant," Aizen mused. "You should be nicer to me. I was attacked and drained of a significant amount of my blood and Reiatsu earlier."

Urahara stepped forwards. "Please. We all know that something like that was nowhere near enough to damage you significantly."

Offering no response, Aizen merely smiled.

Waiting for the group to continue moving again, he kept his uncovered left eye gazing ahead of him. Once his companions' attention was diverted away, however, Aizen quickly glanced down at his left collarbone. Around the area where Gabriele had sunk her fingers into his flesh, several of the restraining black straps had torn and frayed.

A dangerous light started to shimmer across his eye.

* * *

_Damn it, now is not the time to be having a bad day!_ Shunsui Kyoraku thought, only just managing to dodge one of his enemy's attacks. _I've played these games hundreds -no- thousands of times; but I keep making the wrong moves._

Dipping his head down, Joseph narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "Daruma-San Ga Koronda."

Kyoraku's vision suddenly whited out.

Joseph had removed his double-breasted trench coat and thrown it towards the Captain's face.

Slashing out with the blade in his left hand, Kyoraku knocked the jacket aside. He wasn't about to allow the Sternritter out of sight.

However, that's exactly what happened.

Expecting the Quincy to dash to his left, Kyoraku had followed the motion of his sword swing and turned. Joseph, however, had moved in the opposite direction. Exiting Kyoraku's line of sight, he circled around and took the Shinigami Captain's back, slashing him upwards.

Joseph broke into a slight smile as he jumped back out of the fray, as Kyoraku attempted a retaliatory strike. "Tag. You're It."

In a bid to buy time to strategise, Kyoraku retreated across the room and attempted a lighthearted tone. "You're doing well. I never imagined that you'd be able to grasp the dynamics of the games so quickly."

"Well it took a lot of trial and error," Joseph replied. Moving backwards slightly, his feet swept through the air, almost as if he were ice skating. Formed beneath his feet, from solidified reishi, and keeping him hovering off of the floor, were a pair of glowing white disks. "The Kageoni was easy enough to deal with; I just had to make sure that my feet weren't touching the floor. And as for Daruma-San Ga Koronda, I just had to figure out a good strategy to distract you so that I could move to your back."

"Don't think I haven't noticed," Kyoraku added. "You've also set yourself up to come out on top if we were to play Irooni. When you took off your jacket, you also removed your black tie. Now you're almost completely covered in white. Even a small knick on my Haori and I'd be dead."

"I thought you hadn't noticed," Joseph said, with a smile. "But that's only three of your games I've got the advantage in. You don't mean to tell me that you don't have more up your sleeve, now do you?"

"I might have a few tricks left," Kyoraku retorted, playfully.

"Then by all means..." the Quincy began, holding his free hand out in a welcoming motion. "Please continue."

Shunsui leapt towards the Sternritter and raised his left hand, still holding one of his Shikai's blades. "Hadō #78: Zangerin!"

Green energy encircled his Zanpakuto, following behind the swing and blasting out towards the Quincy. Even though Joseph dodged, the effects of the Kido were devastating. Colliding with the far wall of the room in which they stood, it exploded with such violent force that the top four floors, as well as the roof, of the building were completely atomised.

Losing sight of the Captain in the resulting smoke, Joseph lifted his left arm to shield his face from the debris.

"Takaoni!"

Suddenly realising just what was occurring, Joseph's head shot upwards. His eyes just about managed to spy a pink flowery kimono dropping towards him out of the night sky.

Discarding his Seeleschneider, Joseph formed a bow out of the airborne reishi and blasted an enormous arrow at the bright pink form descending upon him.

"Daruma-San Ga Koronda."

Hearing those words, Joseph's eyes opened wide. Using his kimono as a distraction, Kyoraku had snuck up behind the Elite Quincy. Spinning on the spot, he barely managed to block a slash from the Captain. Having been struck by the blade of the Shikai, however, his bow shattered.

"You're It," Kyoraku said, with a slight hint of a grin.

Leaping away from the Sternritter, the Captain Commander attempted to widen his field of vision. Utilising the Hirenkyaku disks beneath his feet to skate forwards, Joseph gave chase.

Every step he took back, Kyoraku muttered a different syllable under his breath, almost as if he were singing a song.

**_"Kagome kagome / Kago no naka no tori wa_**

**_Itsu itsu deyaru / Yoake no ban ni_**

**_Tsuru to kame ga subetta._**

**_Ushiro no shoumen daare."_**

Solidifying his Reiatsu, Joseph leapt to the side and circled around behind Kyoraku, utilising the same trick that the Captain had implemented against him earlier to confuse his Reikaku. As he moved, he drew another Seeleschneider from his belt and activated the reishi stream.

Kyoraku's back remained to the Sternritter. He was wide open.

All of a sudden, just as Joseph's blade moved within millimetres of his back, the Shinigami shouted: "Joseph Fehler!"

Shunsui Kyoraku vanished. Joseph's swing found nothing but open air.

Suddenly feeling the cold bite of metal against his own back, the Quincy kicked off from the ground and jumped to his left hand side. A deep gash was opened across his right hip; the resulting blood staining his shirt, and the leg of his white suit trousers.

Turning around as he moved, Joseph clutched at his side and activated Blut Vene, to stop the bleeding.

_Damn!_ Kyoraku thought. _Why did I stab him in the right hand side? And why by the hip? I could have ended this if I had got him through the heart!_

Chuckling under his breath, Joseph stood up straight and composed himself. "Gut gemacht!" He beamed towards the Captain. "Those were some wonderful tactics! I can't believe that everything from the Kido onwards was a distraction. You lured me right into the trap of that last game!"

Kyoraku's face remained stoic as he watched the Quincy.

"I'm guessing that I needed to be standing behind you for it to work?" he asked, maintaining his pleasant smile. "You shout the name of who you think is behind you and then you exchange places. An interesting counter to surprise attacks, but I can see it falling apart if you're fighting more than one opponent. And if you don't know the name of who is attacking you. That being said..." His smile widened playfully. "You nearly got me."

"True," Kyoraku replied. "But something tells me I won't be getting you with that trick again."

"In a perfect world, you would have killed me with that last attack, am I right?"

"How did you know?" Kyoraku asked, finally returning the Schutzstaffel's smile.

"Don't blame yourself too much," Joseph said, in what appeared to be an attempt to console his opponent. "You made a mistake. I don't think you should blame yourself for that. We all make them."

At Joseph's words, something suddenly dawned on Kyoraku. Everything up until this point, none of it was right.

A strange feeling that he had been getting over the course of the entire fight struck him full force. Everyone made mistakes, that much was true. But something about just how many he was making felt off.

He knew these games. He'd practiced them until he was blue in the face; until he was close to death. He knew the most effective ways to play, and yet consistently, throughout the entire battle, he had made the wrong moves again and again.

This was more than just a bad day.

"You're doing something to me," he suddenly said, staring into the Quincy's emerald green eyes. "I don't know what, and I don't know how, but I'm not normally this sloppy."

"I was wondering when you'd figure it out," Joseph replied.

"So... What exactly are you doing to me?"

As opposed to answering the Captain's question, the Sternritter began his explanation elsewhere. "Everyone always used to think I was bad luck... Even as a child, no matter who I met, they all considered me to be a jinx-" Catching himself, he stopped and apologised. "Sorry, sorry." He laughed slightly and waved one hand. "Entschuldigen sie mich. I was about to start monologuing. It's a bad habit that I'm trying to cut down on... You don't care about my past. I was supposed to be talking about my Schrift."

Kyoraku watched him cautiously. He was tempted to try a surprise attack, while the Quincy was talking.

Instinct, however, prevented him from doing so. While it seemed like the best course of action, he wasn't about to carelessly jump into another exchange before he knew exactly what he was dealing with.

"But I did say that I wanted to keep a few secrets," Joseph continued, absent-mindedly. "Though I suppose, at this point, there's not an awful lot you can do to counter it." He appeared to ponder the matter for a second. "Hm...Warum nicht! You're pretty smart, so you'll probably figure it out eventually. My epithet, as you know, is the letter M. The power I was given was that of The Mistake."

Kyoraku's eyes opened wide at the revelation.

"It's a pretty annoying ability," the bespectacled Sternritter Elite said, tilting his head to the side. "Once you get sucked into it, it distorts your judgement and you really just end up making some pretty bad calls. Everything starts to go wrong for you, and it gradually becomes worse and worse. It's why a lot of my comrades tend to avoid me; I can't pick and choose who it affects." His free right hand started to make ticking motions in the air, as he spoke. "Captain Kuchiki just kept missing me and shredding himself; the previous Captain Commander used his Bankai against His Majesty, only to have it stolen; Ohetsu Nimaya kept making all of the wrong swings; Haans jumped into battle without thinking things through... Everywhere I go, people just keep messing up. I'm starting to think that my parents were right about me..."

Lowering his free appendage, Joseph made several rapid practice slashes with the Seeleschneider in his left hand. His entire body flexed into a tight combat stance. His muscles tightened, stretched taut and primed like a length of piano wire. Light from the moon glared over the lenses of his glasses in a bright flash.

"So, Captain Commander, what do you say?" he asked. "Shall we resume our duel?"


	72. The Midnight Parade

**Chapter 72: The Midnight Parade**

_"There were..._

_Ten in the bed,_

_And the little one said:_

_Roll over! Roll over!_

_Soooo theyyyy,_

_All rolled over,_

_And one fell out,_

_He was flat on the floor,_

_With his guts hangin' out!_

_Please remember,_

_To tie a knot in your suspenders,_

_Single beds are only make for:_

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,_

_Nine in the bed,_

_And the little one said:_

_Roll over! Roll over!"_

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) leant back against one of the outside walls of the Wahrwelt. He was sat astride one of the numerous decorative white gargoyles, staring up at the moon, with his right knee pulled up to his chest. As he sang his left leg, dangling out into the open air, swung back and forth rhythmically.

After Beraht had informed him of the enemy invasion, he had promptly say himself in a good vantage point and started to wait. He didn't want to rush into the battle.

While he was itching for another fight, after his skirmish with the Shinigami Royal Guard, he knew better than to go out looking for the invading force. Even in spite of his status as a member of the Schutzstaffel, he was abysmal at the sensing of Reiatsu. He had even struggled to sense just who was fighting in front of the entrance to the Wahrwelt. Haans only managed to identify Onmar after circling around to get a better look at the battle; and by then it was long over.

He was confident in his vision at least.

However, while it was true that he could see his soon to be opponents on the far reaches of his vision, he would almost certainly have gotten lost if he had ventured into the labyrinth of pure white buildings below him.

_Plus... _he thought, stopping his song so that he could break into a satisfied smile. _I want to savour this! It's all about the build up. Now I have time to plan what I want to do to each and every one of them!_

Cocking his head to the side, Haans narrowed his sky blue eyes and stared discerning towards the horizon. Still so far away that they were mere specs, the advancing party of Shinigami appeared to have thinned in number.

"Whaaaat?" he groaned, vocalising his disappointment. "Why are a load of them missing? Damn it, some one must have already reached them!"

Standing up, Haans stretched. Leaning forwards, he placed the side of his right hand across his brow, in a showy display that indicated peering over a great distance.

"But why are a tonne of them still heading towards me?" he muttered to himself. "If one of us found their group, they should all be as good as dead." He groaned and removed his hand from his face. "Hang on..."

Clenching his eyes tightly, the tall blonde man scrunched up his face. The skin across his forehead and cheeks quickly turned pink, straining from the effort.

After several seconds, he broke concentration and took several deep breaths.

_So Joe is fighting one of them one-on-one,_ he thought. _What an idiot. If he just went for the kill from the start, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Still... It looks like he only took out weak people._ His smile widened, the light thrown from the white walls of the Wahrwelt flashing across the whites of his perfectly straight teeth. _Which means I have my pick of all the strong ones!_

Rocking back and forth on the balls and heels of his feet, Haans stared absent-mindedly into the distance and folded his arms across his chest. A cool breeze wafted past him, tussling his bright blonde hair and causing several strands to fall down over his forehead.

"Hmm," he hummed, tucking in his bottom lip. "But which one should I go for?"

His clear blue eyes gradually ticked over each member of the invading force.

_No, no, no... That one's all tied up, no challenge there. Blondie looks injured. Maybe as a warm up?_

He groaned aloud. "I can't decide! Okay, okay..." He lifted one hand and pointed his finger towards the horizon. "Eenie meenie, miney, moe..."

* * *

Grimmjow Jeaggerjaques raced through the pure white streets of the city, his bright blue hair whipping around his face. His attention was focussed on the massive fortress that lay ahead of him, filling his vision and distorting his whole sense of scale.

He knew that he would have a better chance at infiltrating the enemy stronghold if he was alone. He could slip in unnoticed while the enemy was focussed on the group of Shinigami behind him.

_And then..._ he thought. _I can find that Quincy and dish out some payback. Don't think that my Resurreccion is the only trick I've got up my sleeve!_

Suddenly stopping, his feet dragged across the pale road beneath him. His sapphire blue eyes narrowed and began to dart around the area.

Clenching his fists at his sides, he opened his Pesquisa all the way.

"I know you're out there!" he shouted, seemingly at nothing. "Stop hiding like a chicken shit and come out and fight me!"

A Heilig Pfeil flashed through the night, aimed at Grimmjow's head. Ducking to the side, he nimbly avoided the shot and raised his right hand. Blasting a deep crimson cero in the direction the attack had come from, he levelled several buildings.

Diving out of the blast radius, a dark shape landed on the top of a building overlooking the street. Red hair fluttered out into the open air, caught in the chilling night wind. Draped over the figure's body, the white uniform that it wore was dyed a deep and dark red by blood that had soaked into the material.

Nina Redwing (The Blood) stared down at the former Sexta Espada through her cool brown eyes.

"You're quick!" Grimmjow shouted up at her, breaking into a grin.

Nina didn't say a word. Flinging off the cloak of her Sternritter Mantle, she drew two large hexagonal chakrams from behind her back. Throwing the weapons towards the Arrancar, she began to flit her hands through the air, like a musical conductor. Following the motions of her fingertips, the airborne hexagons whirled and danced across the sky.

Snapped into an alert state of shock, Grimmjow just about managed to dodge the pair of whirling blades. Turning his body sideways, he avoided them again as they rounded back on themselves and came at him from the back.

_So she can control them,_ he thought, gritting his teeth and beginning to continuously dodge the attacks. _And something tells me she's not just going to up and tell me what her weird power is. Shit... Why did I have to find one like this?! It would be so much easier to just slug it out!_

One of the spinning hexagonal blade shot past his face and grated against Grimmjow's Hierro-enhanced skin. Sparks flew into the air, but his skin wasn't broken.

_At least my Hierro is strong enough to hold off the blades... For now..._

Another of the weapons whizzed through the air, towards him from the right. Turning and thrusting his left arm out, he grabbed hold of the reishi-formed structure. Sparks flashed out of his palm and between his fingers, sizzling down onto the snow at his feet.

Throwing down the blade, Grimmjow stared back up at the petite redhead. She had lowered one of her hands; the other still raised and directing the airborne chakram.

_Okay, she's down one of her weapons, _he thought. _If I manage to catch the other one, I should be able to fight up close and personal with her. But... There's still those damn arrows. Fucking Quincy and their projectiles. Cowards, all of them!_

His mind suddenly flashed back to Sylvanus. The image of the Quincy charging him flickered in front of his eyes.

_All of them except him..._ Grimmjow gritted his teeth and dodged the remaining airborne hexagon. _I wish I was fighting him again._

* * *

Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) sat inside one of the thousands of buildings that made up the Wahrwelt. Situated in the middle of one of the three remaining vacant cities, she was sure that she was far enough away to escape all of the destruction sure to be wrought by the coming battles.

Taking a deep breath, Aya hugged her knees close to her chest and buried her face in the backs of her thighs. Her black locks tumbled over her shoulders and hung down over the fronts of her calves.

Closing her deep purple eyes, she thought back to Sylvanus. About how he did his best to protect her.

_And all I'm doing is hiding, scared..._

Clenching her fists, through her gloves, Aya fought back the urge to cry.

_All I've done is let everyone else protect me... Knight, Snow, and now Sylvanus. Sure I tried to help... But at the end of all of it, all I've been is a burden._

Gritting her teeth, she began to grind her molars together. Her small form began to tremble slightly, like a leaf caught in a gentle breeze.

_But what can I do? I'm pretty much useless... I can't stop Syl from going against Yhwach. I can't stop all of this fighting. Damn it... I don't know what to do... I can't do anything!_

Her voice wavered as she spoke. "Just... Just like..."

Banishing the unpleasant memory from her mind, Aya shook her head. Breathing in and out steadily, she attempted to calm herself down, but to no avail. Her body continued to shudder.

She felt cold and tired. Fatigued.

A faint haze started to settle upon her mind, clouding her thoughts.

Aya needed to sleep. The adrenaline that she had been running on, since her and Sylvanus had been attacked by the black creatures, had all dried up and she was crashing hard.

Her eyelids grew heavy. She could feel herself drifting off to sleep.

"Syl..." she whispered, before eventually passing out. "Please be okay..."

* * *

Ichigo and his companions continued through the labyrinth of white buildings, in an attempt to reach the Wahrwelt. They moved quickly and carefully, dipping in and out of alleyways in a non-linear fashion. The last thing that they wanted was to be spotted by a member of the enemy's forward force.

In the distance, they could hear the sounds of battle. Explosions and tremors shook the air.

"Who do you think is fighting?" Orihime asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"The hell if I know," Ichigo replied. "I thought we were the only ones up here."

"What about you, Yoruichi-San?" the auburn-haired girl asked, turning towards the older dark-skinned woman. "What do you think?"

"Well, all of this dense reishi in the air is playing havoc with my senses..." Yoruichi began. "But... Right now I have two guesses as to just what is going on. The first is that somehow Urahara has managed to find his way up here. And the other..." She trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.

"Is what?" Chad asked.

"Friendly fire," she replied, her voice flat and level.

"Do you really think that they'd be attacking each other?" Ichigo asked, stopping to look back at his friends.

"Anything's possible..." Yoruichi said, knitting her brows. "I mean, as far as they know, they've won."

Ganju pulled an inquisitive expression. "You think they might start picking each other off, to climb through the ranks?"

"Like I said," the former Head of the Stealth Force said. "Anything is possible."

"So what do we do now?" Chad asked, peering through his dark curly fringe.

"We keep doing what we've been doing," Ichigo said, taking charge of the situation. "And hope that whoever's fighting take out some of our enemies. This way we can sneak in, while whoever's watching the entrance is distracted by all these fights."

"I'm impressed," the dark-skinned woman said, breaking into a smile. "I'm proud of you, Ichigo. You're finally starting to act like a leader."

Ichigo merely grunted in response. "Whatever."

"Well..." suddenly arose a slightly disinterested voice, from above them. "He's definitely taken on the role of a leader. But... He was wrong about it distracting us. Somehow, I don't exactly see his plan playing out too well."

Hurriedly turning their attention up towards the night sky, Ichigo and his companions spotted a figure, sitting on the edge of an overlooking roof.

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) pushed himself off of the ledge and landed on the sidewalk below. As he landed, the concrete cracked beneath his feet, extending out into a small crater.

He no longer wore his black-trimmed variant of the Sternritter jacket, instead clad simply in a pair of white suit trousers and a white turtleneck, zipped up to just under his chin. His midnight black hair fluttered around his slightly tanned face, the point of his fringe swaying back and forth and occasionally obscuring his pale green eyes.

"Though you were right about the friendly fire..." he continued, staring over at Yoruichi. Sadness and regret lingered behind his eyes.

Without hesitation, the former Captain dashed forwards and lifted her right arm. "Shunko!"

Pure white lightning blasted from her back, ripping off the long cloak that she wore.

Onmar vanished. Not even a flicker of his form was seen. Reappearing on a staircase on the other side of the street, he sat down just in front of the door to the building.

"You can't catch me," he sighed. "No matter how fast you are."

_What on earth...?_ Yoruichi thought, abject shock and dismay plastered across her face. _I just barely managed to see him move; there's no way the others caught that! How is he able to move so fast?!_

"You're confused..." Onmar said, breaking into an apathetic expression. "I've seen that expression too many times today, and I'm sick of it."

All of a sudden, the Sternritter's face changed. His eyes opened wide and a look akin to shock flickered across his features.

Ichigo Kurosaki was staring straight at him. He didn't look shocked; far from it. Oddly enough... He looked pleased.

"You're awfully happy about something."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and drew his dual swords. "Let's just say you weren't exactly one of the enemies we were worried about. Sure you may be faster than we anticipated, but you don't seem that dangerous. So I'm feeling quite lucky, right about now."

"No Ichigo!" Yoruichi shouted, hurriedly turning towards him. "Don't underestimate him! This one is-!"

Onmar appeared in front of the woman and punched her in the gut. The force behind the attack was so massive that she was flung backwards and ploughed through at least a dozen buildings.

Orihime screamed after her comrade. "Yoruichi-San!"

"I'm guessing the one you were most worried about was Haans?" Onmar asked, half turning to look at Ichigo out of the corner of his eye. "The blonde man with the scar? Or maybe even Beraht; the pale one?" He lifted one hand and stared down at his fingertips. "I don't blame you. Everyone else is always underestimating me... But please don't misunderstand. It isn't through chance that you encountered me here. I was personally ordered to deal with you, Ichigo Kurosaki. Because out of all the Sternritter... I am the strongest."

Ichigo lunged at the man, swinging the larger of his two swords.

Leaning backwards in a single fluid motion, Onmar avoided the swipe easily and retaliated with a Heilig Pfeil from a newly formed handgun in his right hand.

Narrowly avoiding the shot, Ichigo hissed between his teeth and jumped back.

"I'd really rather not do this right now," Onmar said, straightening up and spinning his weapon around his finger. "I've already had too much heartache for one day..."

Leaping at the Quincy, Chad lifted his right arm as it was swathed in bright white and blue spiritual energy. "El Directo!"

Vanishing yet again, Onmar appeared on the top of another overlooking building. Flexing the fingers of his left hand, he summoned another gun and aimed down at the small group.

A flash of white lightning shot into the night sky, behind him, illuminating the area. Yoruichi dashed towards the Sternritter's back, Shunko still blazing from her shoulders, and raised her left arm for a punch.

Whipping around on the spot so fast that she didn't even see him turn, Onmar pointed his twin pistols at the Shinigami woman's face.

"Turn to sand! Seppa!"

Beneath the Quincy's feet, the entire building spontaneously collapsed into millions of pure white grains.

Stunned by the sudden occurrence, Onmar fell back and lost his footing. As his line of sight was broken, the aim of his guns flew wide and he inadvertently dropped his defences.

Slamming her fist into his chest, Yoruichi launched the Sternritter down towards the ground at high speed. As the young man collided with the concrete of the road, an enormous explosion ripped through the street. A massive crater was formed and a thick cloud of dust was whipped up into the air.

Landing beside Ichigo, the purple-haired woman spat to the side. Blood spattered against the ground, stark red and matching the rivulets clinging to her chin.

"This one's dangerous..." she gasped, seemingly struggling to breathe. "I think he ruptured my liver with that punch..."

"Ah it's okay!" Ganju called out, flexing his bicep and breaking into a grin. "After that awesome combo attack of ours, he should be down for the count!"

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Yoruichi grunted, peering through hooded eyes into the smoke. "Something felt... off when I punched him..."

A low groan of pain suddenly emerged from the haze. Onmar walked out of the slowly settling smoke and dusted off his uniform. "Ow..." he muttered apathetically.

Despite his grumbling, however, he was almost entirely unharmed.

"What the hell...?" Chad gasped. "He survived a direct hit from Yoruichi-San...!"

"And he's not hurt at all..." Orihime added, worry prevalent in her voice.

Onmar ignored them and continued to pat down his clothes, carefully avoiding a spot on his chest. "Seriously, that's going to bruise like hell..."

"This one is going to be a problem..." Ichigo muttered, his voice low and his gaze set like steel as he watched the Sternritter.

"So it seems like you're finally taking me seriously," Onmar said, noting Ichigo's words. "I guess that makes a change from how things usually go..."

Ichigo grinned ever so slightly. "Well you did say you were the strongest one."

Watching the Substitute Shinigami, Onmar slowly lowered his brows. The expression that Ichigo had just pulled... reminded him a lot of Sylvanus.


	73. Set The Stage

**Chapter 73: Set the Stage**

Grimmjow Jeaggerjaquez felt his back slam into the wall behind him. Even down one of her weapons, Nina Redwing (The Blood) had managed to back the Arrancar into a corner; both figuratively and literally.

Growling, he squared his jaw and stared down the spinning chakram, ripping through the air towards him at high speed.

As the weapon moved within inches of his face, the former Espada threw himself to the side. A low grating sound was heard as the reishi projectile slammed into the wall and ripped into the concrete. Blazing sparks shot into the air, burning the back of Grimmjow's neck.

Never one to miss an opportunity, the blue-haired man threw himself towards the Sternritter. Kicking off from the ground, he leapt into the air and drew his Zanpakuto from his hip. Light from the moon glared across the polished steel of the blade.

Almost as if she had been expecting this, Nina barely batted an eyelid. Avoiding the downward slash of her enemy, she sidestepped around him and formed a new chakram, from the ambient reishi, into her left had. Looping the weapon over Grimmjow's head, she tugged backwards in a single sharp motion, in an attempt to seemingly decapitate the Arrancar.

Gritting his teeth, Grimmjow hurriedly pointed his sword upwards and turned it sideways. He saved his neck by jamming the flat of his blade between his skin and the inside edge of Nina's hexagonal weapon.

_Shit!_ he thought, as the edge of his own blade opened a slight cut on his neck. _When she threw them, they may not have been able to cut me, but close range like this, she damn near cut my head off!_

Kicking backwards, he forced his enemy to back off.

Releasing the weapon, Nina leapt back out of range of the Arrancar's kick. Landing on a building across the street, she formed a bow into her hands and blasted a Heilig Pfeil into Grimmjow's shoulder blades.

As the projectile came into contact with his back, it exploded violently. Blasted through the air, he flipped over twice and broke through the side of an overlooking tower.

Fishing himself out of the rubble, Grimmjow narrowly avoided a second arrow aimed at him.

Bracing himself, he watched the red headed girl carefully. He needed to keep track of her movements. As things stood, he knew that she could control her chakrams, so it only stood to reason that her arrows carried the same properties.

No sooner had he thought this, five arrows screamed through the air towards his back.

Too late did he realise their course.

Just as Grimmjow thought he was about to be hit by the attack, a bright pink blast of spiritual energy burned through the air and obliterated the projectiles.

"I thought that I'd catch up to you eventually," a feminine voice called out. "I was right to leave the group behind. Looks like you've found yourself some trouble here, Grimmjow."

Nelliel Tu Odelschvank, the former Third Espada, walked towards the battle and drew her sword from her hip. Her bright green hair caught the wind and billowed up behind her; her white hollow mask almost seeming to glow in the light of the moon.

"Nelliel..." Grimmjow growled, narrowing his eyes and staring back at the woman. "I didn't ask for your help!"

"Maybe not," she replied. "But it looked to me like you needed it." Turing her attention towards Nina, she mimicked Grimmjow's expression. "Besides... This one looks strong. I'm pretty sure it'll take both of us to end this."

Noting the arrival of the second Arrancar, Nina formed two new chakrams and hurled them up into the air. Freezing, as if suspended upon invisible wires, they hung in the middle of the night sky. After a brief moment they spontaneously began to rotate, before glowing a bright and blazing white.

Nel realised what was occurring, shouting her observation over at her blue-haired comrade. "Aerial attack, incoming!"

A swarm of white arrows erupted from the six points of the hexagonal weapons, as they rapidly span, blanketing the battlefield. Thick and fast, they burned up the atmosphere and covered a wide circular area.

Diving through the ground floor window of a bordering building, Nel avoided a direct hit from the arrows. The structure, however, was levelled; collapsing onto her from above.

Grimmjow adopted a different strategy. Cupping his fingers around his palm, he thrust his arm upwards and launched a bright crimson Cero at the oncoming barrage.

As his attack annihilated the oncoming projectiles, an empty pocket was created in the barrage, sparing him from the resulting blast of the attacks.

"You learn quick," Nel said, emerging from the wreckage.

"You sound surprised!" Grimmjow sneered, dashing towards Nina's elevated form.

"No you idiot!" the green-haired woman screamed after him. "Don't just rush in like that!"

Grabbing hold of her dual weapons, Nina lunged forwards to meet Grimmjow in combat.

_What the hell? Why's she attacking me head on? I thought she was a long range fighter._

The speed at which the girl came at him suggested otherwise. Her weapons moved so fast that they almost seemed to buzz as they ripped through the reishi in the air.

Dodging as fast as he could, Grimmjow barely managed to dodge the swipes.

Lifting the sword in his right hand, he hooked the blade into the opening of the chakram in Nina's left hand and dragged it to the side. As he did so, the Sternritter slashed at him with the other.

Instinct saved his eyes.

As he defended against the blade in Nina's right hand, he had felt a shiver race down his spine. Jerking his head backwards, he watched as the blade of her other chakram flashed in front of his vision.

_Fuck, she's fast!_

Releasing the hilt of his sword, he thrust his right hand forwards. "Cero!"

Blown back by the force of the attack, Nina's black combat boots dragged against the ground and her back slammed into the wall of a nearby building. Smoke trailed behind her.

However, she remained, for the most part, unharmed.

A faint red sheen seemed to be hovering around her outline.

"What the hell?" Grimmjow grunted, confusion spreading across his face. "I nailed her head on, how is she not hurt?"

"It seems she has a few tricks up her sleeves," Nel said, jumping forwards and landing next to Grimmjow. Her voice bore an irritated tone to it. "Now are you going to let me help you? Or are you going to insist on getting yourself killed?"

"Shut up!" he shouted, in response. "I can handle this on my own, you stupid bitch. You want to jump in, fine! But don't blame me if you get caught in my attacks and die!"

Nel merely sighed and prepared herself for battle.

Watching the pair, Nina didn't say a word. Through calm chocolate brown eyes, she analysed their stances.

* * *

"Are you sure we should have let her run off by herself?" Isshin Kurosaki asked, turning his head to look at Urahara as they ran. "That battle she was heading towards feels dangerous."

"I'm confident that she can handle herself," the store owner replied, calmly.

"And besides," Aizen said, as the members of the Kido Corps that carried him struggled to keep up with the Shinigami force. "She's just an Arrancar. If she were to die, it wouldn't be any great loss to us."

"You're as crass as ever," Ukitake commented, looking back at the bound man.

"I'd rather be that than a hypocrite," he smiled in reply. "I never made any secret of how I felt about Hollows. They were a means to an end. They followed me because of my strength, not because of some kind of false friendship."

"I half wish that Shunsui had kept the seal on your mouth," Urahara said, keeping his eyes focussed forwards.

"But then you wouldn't be able to hear my wonderful conversation," Aizen smirked in reply.

As the group simultaneously turned their attention away from him, in response to his statement, Aizen maintained his smile. His free left eye moved slowly, glancing down at the torn restraints covering his shoulder and collarbone. The bloody wound, beneath the bonds, began to glow and spark ever so slightly.

_Not long now,_ he thought.

All of a sudden, the group came to a jolting stop.

They were now within a stones throw of the Wahrwelt. Between the head of their group and the massive doors that led inside the fortress was a huge courtyard. Midway across its length were a short series of steps.

All around the area were signs of battle. Craters littered the floor and several bordering walls had been reduced to rubble.

"Well it looks like we're not the first ones here..." Ukitake said, cautiously looking over the scene, from the alleyway in which they all stood.

"I'm glad we decided to leave all the scientists behind to try and heal the wounded," Isshin muttered, lowering his brows and observing the area. "This kind of power would have been too much for them."

_So... Everyone here is strong..._ Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) thought as he watched the Shinigami battalion from the shadows. Hidden almost entirely from view, his two dimensional form was etched onto the faintly glowing wall of a nearby building.

His cool blue eyes barely moved as he assessed the situation.

_Perhaps too strong for me to deal with... I should hang back; watch and see how this plays out._

"Wow!" a cheerful voice suddenly rang out, calling across the courtyard. "It's so dark down there that I can barely see you all!"

"Oh no..." Shinji Hirako muttered, peering out from beneath his oddly cut fringe.

Ukitake glanced sideways at Isshin. "Out of the frying pan..."

"And into the fire..." Isshin completed, his voice low.

"I can't fight you like this, can I?!" the voice continued. "And the Lord said: Let there be light!"

Blue columns of blazing hot reishi fire tore into the air, behind the group. Following suit, pillars of blue flame blazed out of every single alleyway or street connected to the courtyard.

"Now you can't run away!" The voice started to laugh maniacally.

Diving out of the blaze, to save themselves, the Shinigami leapt out into the open.

Unable to move fast enough to escape, the four members of the Kido Corps that carried Aizen's chair were incinerated; their screams echoing out of the fire long after they bodies turned to ash. The traitorous former Captain remained bound, engulfed in the blaze.

As his form was eclipsed by the fire, he broke into a slight smile. "Oh this will do nicely..."

"Where is he?!" Isshin shouted, lifting his blade and staring around the area.

All of a sudden, the voice screamed out again. "Geronimo!"

Flipping once as he leapt off of the side of the Wahrwelt, Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) descended upon them with all the force of a meteorite. The white concrete of the ground was almost completely annihilated as he slammed into the surface. An enormous crater extended out from beneath his feet.

Rapidly lifting his head to stare at the Shinigami, Haans broke into a vicious grin. His bright blue eyes sparkled with madness as he opened them wide, distorting both his tattoo and scar.

"Well helloooo~ nurse!"

His Reiatsu burst out of his body, descending on the area.

"He's as strong as a Captain..." Matsumoto gasped, gripping Haineko tightly and holding it in front of her, almost as if she was attempting to ward him off.

"No..." Isshin Kurosaki said, addressing his former Lieutenant. "He's stronger than a Captain..."

"Now which one of you did I want to fight first?!" Haans laughed, straightening up and placing one hand on his hip. Cocking his head to the side, one of his eyes narrowed while the other remained wide and started to twitch. "Hmm... I think it's..." He stretched out the word, letting it hang in the air. "You!"

Lunging forwards, the crazed Quincy made a beeline for Shinji.

"Burn! Engetsu!"

White fire ripped through the air in a precise slash, aiming to intercept the Sternritter's advance.

Haans barely blinked. Leaning backwards as he ran, the attack passed inches from his nose and tore into one of the buildings across the wide courtyard. The motion was so sudden and unexpected, that Isshin was left dumbfounded.

Not hesitating for a second, the Quincy Elite thrust out his right hand and made a grabbing motion. Prompted by the action, Shinji felt a sensation akin to an enormous hand grip his entire body. A split second later, he was airborne. Lifted effortlessly into the air, he felt the invisible force rear backwards as it prepared to hurl him over the horizon.

Ukitake dived towards the Sternritter and lifted the two blades of his already released Shikai.

Taking note of the attack, Haans broke his focus on Shinji and left the Vizard to drop out of the sky. Leaning backwards again, he dipped his head out of the range of three consecutive slashes.

Jumping back, he retaliated by summoning his Heilig Bogen into his hands and launching a barrage of arrows at the white-haired Captain.

A bright flash suddenly seared through the night.

Jolting sideways, Haans rapidly moved his head out of the path of an enormous blast of white spiritual energy.

"What the hell was that?!" he laughed, his eyes lighting up. "There's no way it could be, but it looked like- Yeah! It was! You sneaky bastard! That was a Heilig Pfeil!"

Ukitake didn't say a word, his expression steely as he stared down the Quincy.

"Since when were Shinigami able to shoot arrows?!" As he spoke his body shuddered, almost as if he were tingling with excitement. "Well whatever it was, I wanna see that again!" Haans pointed his bow at the Soul Reaper Captain and trembled with glee. "You ready partner? Okay. DRAW!"

An explosion of pure white erupted between the pair as Haans loosed an immense stream of arrows.

"This is incredible!" he cackled, continuing to belt the Shinigami with projectiles. "You're shooting them down as fast as I can launch them! Okay then! How 'bout you try this on for size!" The blue irises set beneath his thin blonde brows began to twinkle. "Licht Regen!"

White spiritual energy burst out from behind Haans's right shoulder. Thousands of arrows erupted from the front of his bow and screamed through the night.

Ukitake's eyes shot open wide in shock.

A massive explosion rocked the courtyard, shaking the very foundations of the buildings that surrounded it. The Captain of Squad Thirteen was blown backwards by the sheer force of the blast and slammed into the side of a nearby tower.

"Growl! Haineko!"

Silver-grey ash tore towards the Elite Quincy and began to circle his body.

Dispersing his bow, Haans stared at the cloud in a disinterested fashion. "And what is this supposed to be...?"

"This ash currently surrounding you is my Zanpakuto," Rangiku Matsumoto explained, lifting the empty hilt of her sword. "As long as you're surrounded, you-"

"No! Wait! Stop..." Haans interrupted. "I don't care."

As if prompted by the Sternritter's statement, all of the ash in the area began to clump together. Despite her best efforts to control her Zanpakuto, Matsumoto couldn't stop it. Dragged through the air, it continued to compact itself until all that remained was a silver-grey ball.

Grabbing the sphere out of the air, Haans tossed it upwards several times, in a nonchalant manner. "Don't waste my time. The big kids are playing."

Throwing the compacted Zanpkauto back at its owner, Haans broke into a wide grin.

The ball of ash slammed into Matsumoto's chest so hard that it almost completely crushed her rib cage. Gagging on blood and choking out a single breath, the blonde woman collapsed to her knees and passed out face down in a pool of her own blood.

Chuckling under his breath, Haans turned his attention towards Isshin and Urahara. "So! Which one of you is next?!"

"That would be me," suddenly came a voice from behind the erratic individual.

Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Haans absentmindedly sniffed the air. "Hey, what smells so good?"

Shinji rose to his feet and glared at the Sternritter. The circular hilt of his Shikai was looped around his wrist as the blade span about the joint.

An intense feeling of vertigo suddenly assaulted the Quincy Elite; seemingly caused by the rotation of the Captain's blade. Haans' head started to swim and spin. The entire world around him began to rotate and invert.

"Ohhh my God!" he screamed. "I'm tripping ooooout!"

"You all go on ahead without me!" Shinji shouted at his comrades. "I'll hold him here!"

"No, you can't!" Ukitake called back towards he group, as he attempted to pull himself out of the wreckage of the building. "He's far too strong!"

"What the hell have you done to me?!" Haans shouted, stumbling about himself and laughing like a lunatic. "This is hilarious! Where the fuck am I even looking?! God, this is great!"

Thrashing his arms about as he moved, the Sternritter started ripping chunks out of the ground around him. The path of destruction continued in a circle, growing progressively wider.

"That's exactly my point!" Shinji shouted at his white-haired comrade. "We all stay here, he'll mangle us! The best we can hope for is for me to hold him here while you all go on and kill Yhwach!"

"Oh no ya' don't!" Haans giggled, turning about himself and thrusting one arm out in an attempt to grab hold of one of the Shinigami.

A building behind him was levelled.

"Whoops! Aww man! Where'd you all go?!"

Coming to a decision, Urahara nodded. "Alright. Ukitake, Kurosaki: Come with me. The fire is sealing off every escape route, except the front door of the fortress, so we'll aim for there. Nemu, you grab Matsumoto. We need to get her out of the battlefield."

As Nemu Kurotsuchi moved to collect the unconscious Lieutenant, Urahara turned to leave the battlefield. Glancing over his shoulder, however, he came to a halt.

"Kurosaki, what are you doing?"

"Sorry, Urahara, but you three are going to have to go on without me," Isshin said, turning his back to his comrades and joining Shinji in facing down Haans. "With two of us here, we just might be able to kill this guy." He broke into a slight smirk. "Not to mention, Shinji here may even survive."

"You're just like your son," Shinji muttered in response, breaking into a grin of his own.

"Flattering," Isshin replied. "But I think you'll find that it's him who's just like me."

While his enemies conversed, Haans continued to thrash about and launch random attacks. "Okay come on guys! Stop yankin' my chain! This is getting old now!"

"You're sure you'll both be alright?" Ukitake asked, joining Urahara and Nemu.

"Don't worry about us," Shinji began.

"We'll be fine," Isshin finished.

* * *

Shunsui Kyoraku collapsed against the wall of a nearby building and sank down into a sitting position. Following behind him, a trail of blood spread down the faintly glowing white surface.

"God damn..." he huffed, breathing heavily as he attempted to catch his breath. A film of sweat clung to his face, dripping down his temples, mingling with his blood and pooling beneath his bottom lip. "Starting to regret saying I'd take this one on my own..."

A deep gash had been opened along the right hand side of his face. Pink flesh and ivory bone peeked out of the mottled dark red blood, catching the light. Similar wounds covered his body, however were disguised by his Shihakusho. Several items of his clothing were missing, including his hat, Haori and flowery Kimono. Blood seeped out of him and grew into a shimmering crimson pool around his body.

Ragged breaths wracked his body. Swallowing down lungfuls of air, he attempted to clear his head.

_No matter what games I try to play with him, he's able to figure out how they work almost instantly... And that's not even taking into account that ability of his. I just keep making the wrong moves! How the hell do I counter it?_

"One hundred!" called out the clear voice of Joseph Fehler (The Mistake).

Almost instantly the Quincy appeared in the sky, over Kyoraku. Blocking out the moon with his form, he raised his bow and fired several dozen arrows down at the Shinigami Captain.

The first of the projectiles sliced down across Kyoraku's thigh, penetrating deep into the muscle.

Crying out in pain, Kyoraku stumbled forwards, just barely avoiding all of the subsequent attacks. Turning about himself, he lifted the twin blades of his Shikai and narrowed his eyes.

He felt like he needed to play even more on the defensive, if he was going to survive.

Joseph landed on the gracefully on the ground and pushed his glasses up his nose. Gripping the pure white bow in his right hand tightly, he lifted it up and peered down the length of his arm. Still floating either side of his wrist, the two floating orbs circled his forearm. "I found you."

"Damn you're good..." Kyoraku said, still breathing heavily. "As much as I hate to admit it, you've got me on the ropes... Since my surprise attack earlier I haven't landed a single hit."

Breaking into a sincere smile, Joseph's mellifluous voice rolled out from between his lips. "Thank you for the compliment. It's not something that I hear very often."

"Now that's something I find hard to believe," the Shinigami replied.

"You'd be surprised," the Sternritter Elite smiled.

Slowly backing away, Kyoraku's feet dragged along the ground.

_I need to hang back and observe him,_ Kyoraku thought. _It'd be too dangerous to just rush in; he'd probably just counter me and-_

Kyoraku suddenly leapt forwards and raised the blade in his left hand.

He had no idea why he decided to do what he did. It went completely against every instinct he had. Perhaps he knew that he was going to die, and wanted to go down swinging.

Either way, the result was far from what he had expected.

Caught completely off guard by the sudden charge, Joseph fumbled with his bow and responded too late.

The retaliatory projectile screamed over Kyoraku's shoulder and disappeared into the distance. Swinging his blade downwards at the off-balance Quincy, the Captain Commander sliced cleanly through Joseph's bow.

His emerald green eyes opening wide, the Sternritter jumped backwards. Landing on the top of a nearby building, he tripped ever so slightly, the jolt knocking his glasses of of his face.

_What the hell was that...?_ Kyoraku's mind reeled. _I actually got him. But how...? Wait... What if..._

"What I thought was the wrong move was actually the right one," he said, stunned.

Filled with a new sense of confidence, Kyoraku broke into a smile and prepped himself for battle.

_It's going to be tricky, but now at least I've got a plan..._ he thought. _I just need to ignore all of my first instincts. Always go for what seems like the worst possible course of action. This is going to be tough, but right now it's all I've got._

Resisting the urge to rush in for a follow up attack, Kyoraku dodged an arrow from Joseph's newly restored bow by jumping to the left. Thankful for acting on his second choice, he watched as a second arrow pierced the ground to the right of the first.

_Now Daruma San Ga Koronda to get behind him- No. Think the worst possible moves. He's a hell of a lot higher up than me... So Takaoni it is!_

"Takaoni!"

Joseph's eyes opened wide again as the Captain Commander charged at him from below. He had no idea why the Shinigami was using that particular game. He was higher up, he knew that for a fact.

_Maybe he's just trying to die..._ Joseph thought, confused.

Dispersing his bow, Joseph drew his last remaining Seeleschneider from his belt and jumped to attack Kyoraku with a slash from above. He wasn't about to try using his arrows again, not after the Shinigami had suddenly become able to dodge them with ease.

_What now? He's coming right at me. Usually I'd think about dodging or blocking, but in this situation..._

Kyoraku moved to attack Joseph.

_He's almost entirely covered in white... Usually I'd never think about playing Irooni with him... Which is why that's exactly what I'm going to do!_

"Irooni!"

Joseph pulled a dumbfounded expression as he descended upon the Soul Reaper.

_Go for his black hair. It's a bigger target and- No! Ignore my first instinct! Aim for his belt!_

"BLACK!"

Kyoraku stepped inside the Sternritter's range and slashed out with the blade in his right hand. While the majority of the swing missed, edge of the attack grazed along the surface of Joseph's black leather belt.

Within an instant, blood fountained out into the air.

Joseph was split almost entirely in half; the white bone of his spine being the only thing still holding him together. Crashing into the floor, he was drowned in a pool of scarlet blood.

His eyes starting to glaze over, Joseph coughed up a mixture of blood and vomit and stared up at the Shinigami. "How... Did you... Do that...?"

"Your abilities distorted my judgement," Kyoraku explained. "So all I did was start making moves that I thought were wrong."

A weak smile gripped the Quincy's bloody lips. "That's... Brilliant...!"

"It's over," the Shinigami said, his expression growing somber. "You've used up all your Seeleschneiders and the state you're in, you can't concentrate enough to form a bow... Add into that your injuries, and... You're going to die soon. You don't have any way out of this."

All of a sudden, Joseph began to laugh, his voice laced with pain. "Actually... You're wrong about that..." His left hand began to tremble and spasm sporadically as he raised his arm. "Because, you see... This isn't a watch..."

A high-pitched keening sound ripped through the air. The hands on the face of his watch began to spin faster and faster. Within a split second, they were rotating so quickly that their after-images took the shape of a five-pointed Quincy Zeichen.

A pillar of light erupted from Joseph's body and flashed through the night, illuminating everything in a five mile radius.

**"Lucifer; God's Mistake."**


	74. Omake: Christmas in the Silbern

**Omake Chapter: Christmas in the Silbern**

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) turned the present over in his hands and fumbled hesitantly at the bright pink wrapping paper. Hooking his finger beneath one of the purple ribbons, he examined the similarly purple bow planted on the top.

"Are you all sure this one is for me?" he asked, looking down the length of the white table and past the vast array of seasonal food.

The other twenty six Sternritter all sat waiting to receive gifts of their own. As he waited for a response, they each received their presents one by one. Most of Sylvanus' fellows ignored his question, the majority either talking amongst themselves or sitting in silence.

Asuma Godai (The Lunar) glanced briefly at him out of the corner of his eye before returning his attention to the present in his hands. Lifting it to his nose, he sniffed at it several times.

"Come on, Syl, it's got your name on it! Just open it already!" Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) beamed, calling across the table at him before continuing to vigorously shake her own present.

Now almost certain that his Secret Santa present was from Jamina, Sylvanus allowed a slight smile to pluck at the corner of his mouth.

Further down the table, Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) stared at the mangled lump of wrapping paper set down in front of him. It appeared that whoever had picked his name out of the hat had been so atrocious at wrapping that they had decided to cover the present in so much paper and tape that it was beyond recognition.

Looking across at Onmar, guilt briefly racing across her bright green eyes, Tomoko Stano (The Entropy) broke into a nervous smile.

"Where's mine, where's mine?!" a frantic voice called across the room.

Noting the owner of the voice, several of the Sternritter emitted ever so slight groans.

Gabriele Geschlechtliche (The Vampire) rapidly waved her hand in the air. "Come on, which one is mine?" Turning her attention towards Dientlynne Deiweiber (The Utopian), she batted her thick eyelashes and leaned towards the blonde woman. "Pleeeease tell me you're my Secret Santa! You know you wouldn't even have to get me an actual present; just use your power on me!"

"Calm down!" arose the exasperated voice of Balder Blitzkrieg (The Warlord) from the other end of the table. Reaching into the large red sack set down next to him, he tossed a brown wrapped package towards the woman. "That one's yours. Now would you stop bothering her already?"

Dientlynne merely smiled simply up at Gabriele and giggled. "Sorry Gabby!" she said. "Yours isn't from me."

Huffing to herself, Gabriele collapsed down into her chair and continued scribbling away on a folded piece of card set onto the table in front of her.

"Okay, has everyone got their present?" Lenora Poultery (The Conqueror) called across the room, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. Above her head, the numerous decorative lights twinkled, throwing festive flashes of red light over her multi-tonal hair.

While most of the Sternritter muttered and nodded in response, Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) rolled her eyes at their self-proclaimed leader.

Beside her, Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) continued to excitedly chatter with Arthur Pendragon (The Knight). Despite the celebration, he still wore his pure white full-body armour, however perched atop his helmet were a comically small pair of reindeer antlers.

Opposite the pair, Legion Longstride (The Journey) continued to shovel food into his mouth, all but ignoring his own gift, which had been pushed to the side. Remnants of mince pies, roast potatoes and ham all clung to his beard.

Sat beside him, and glancing down from his overbearing height with a disgusted look, Ferdinand Savagne (The Quick) fought back the urge to reprimand his fellow.

At the head of the table, Lenora took a deep breath. Realising that this was about as much order as she was going to get, she dismissively waved one hand. "Okay everyone, you can open them."

Tearing into the bright blue paper, Nina Redwing (The Blood) opened her eyes wide at the gift she had received. Set down on the table was a rectangular leather bound case. Unfastening the brass clasps, she peered down into the contents and broke into a silent smile. Contained in the case were a series of magnifying glasses of different sizes.

Her hair turning from sky blue to bright red, Adelaide Gotshock (The Xylyl) silently complimented herself for doing such a good job at picking out her friend's present. Turning her attention back towards her own gift, she broke into an expression of half confusion and half disappointment. After unwrapping the oddly-shaped package, she found herself looking at what seemed like the branch of a tree.

Calling across the table at her, and making no effort to hide the fact that it was from him, Legion waved his hand about dismissively. "I picked that up in the Amazon!" he shouted brashly, through the food in his mouth. "You should be grateful; that's really valuable wood!"

His attitude soon changed, however, as he opened his own present.

"Soap!? Soap!" Whipping his head around as he looked around the table at his laughing comrades, he continued to shout. "Which one of you bastards thought it'd be funny to buy me God-damn soap?!"

Watching the older man pitch a fit at the present he had bought for him, Snow (The Yuki-Oni) laughed under his breath. Satisfied with the reaction, he glanced down into the palm of his hand and examined the pair of stud earrings. Made almost entirely from crystallised glass, they glimmered as they caught the light.

Reaching up, the effeminate man inserted them into his ears, all the while looking over at Aya. Correctly guessing that they were from her, he offered the young girl a warm smile.

Nodding her head in acknowledgement of the white-haired man, Aya quickly turned her attention back to the box set down on the table in front of her. Opening the cardboard lid, she let out an excited gasp. From inside the box, she pulled out a snow globe. The dome had been constructed from purple-tinted glass, and set into the middle of the sphere was a silver forest scene.

"This is wonderful!" she cried out. "Who got me this? Knight, was it you?"

The large man shook his head, as he abandoned his inspection of the tin of polish he had received. "No, young miss. A wonderful gift thought it is, I must admit that it is not from me." He turned his attention down the table and nodded towards Sylvanus. "However while we are on the subject, I must thank you, good Sir. This is just what I needed. My armour was beginning to grow slightly scuffed."

Aya looked back down at the globe and pulled a confused expression. "Then who got me this?"

Watching the young girl, Onmar felt the corner of his mouth twitch into a smile for a brief instant.

Sylvanus suddenly burst out laughing. "Suits you, eh Onmar!" he called down to his best friend. "Whoever got you that knows you to a 'T'!"

Clasped between Onmar's hands was a black circular cushion. His lime green eyes rested on the shimmering velvet material for several seconds. Without a word, he lifted himself off of the chair on which he sat and slipped the cushion under him.

A burbling cackle suddenly arose from beneath the table. At the sound of the voice, Onmar cringed.

Sideyatosiya Kirmie (The Hive Mind) reached a single boneless arm up from under the table and grabbed a handful of food, before disappearing back under the wooden structure. All the while, he continued to emit a glee-filled laugh.

"Someone sure sounds happy..." Snow commented, pulling out a mirror and admiring his new earrings.

"I got him an Ant Farm," Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) chuckled, leaning back in his chair and slipping the headphones of his new Walkman into his ears. "Knew he'd like that."

"Great..." Ferdinand groaned, taking off his sunglasses to observe the box of cigars clasped between his large fingers. "Just what we need around here... More bugs." Breaking into a toothy smile, his gold tooth glinted in the light as he drew out one of the cigars and dunked it into his brandy. Lighting it, he clasped it between his teeth and took a deep drag. "Hey! These are good!"

"Thanks, Ferdy!" Dientlynne beamed. "I thought you'd like it!"

"You know the point of Secret Santa is you're supposed to keep it secret," Balder groaned at the blonde woman. "He's not supposed to know it's from you."

Catching a flash of red out of the corner of his eye, Balder turned his head. His eyes fell on Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direcrion).

Taking on his preferred appearance of an eighteen year old, Zeit's face held a completely deadpan expression. Perched atop his head was a blue paper crown, and covering his body was a poorly knitted Christmas jumper.

Balder broke into a dumbfounded expression and had to fight back the urge to laugh.

Catching sight of Zeit in the sweater that she had made, and realising just how badly it had been constructed, Lenora blushed fiercely.

"Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?" Asuma suddenly asked, his face remaining flat and unmoving.

Seeing the look on Asuma's face, Mann Ell (The Zone) burst out laughing. Grabbing his sides, tears rolled down his cheeks and his bald head turned bright red. Having drawn Asuma's name, Mann had instantly decided on what he was going to get him.

The silver-eyed man stared down into a bag of dog biscuits.

"Well you're just a barrel of laughs, aren't you?" Eric Koertig (The Reaper) said, turning to look at his hysterical comrade. His skull mask had been removed and replaced by a large red Santa hat and long white beard.

"Hey, even you've got to admit, that was funny!" Mann laughed, wiping a tear from his eye.

Sighing to himself, Eric tore the bright red paper off of his own present. Hard pressed to find through his fake beard, he broke into a wide smile.

Looking over at Nina, he lifted one arm and beckoned her over.

"I know it was you that got me this," he said, appreciation present in his voice.

"Well you never know," the redhead replied coyly. "Someone else might have gotten it for you."

Eric laughed once and flipped open his new chess board. Picking up all of the individual wooden pieces, he started to set it up. "So..." he said, looking up at Nina through luminous blue eyes. "Would you like to join me for a game?"

Nina broke into a smile. "I'd love to."

"I didn't know they knew each other..." Sylvanus said, watching Nina and Eric as they started to play chess.

"Awww," Tomoko cooed, from beside him. "It's so cute!"

"So," Sylvanus asked, turning towards her. "What did you get?"

Tomoko lifted up a bright silver Quincy Zeichen, hanging from a chain. "A new Quincy Cross," she said, grinning sarcastically. "Isn't it amazing?"

"I'll bet you any money, that's from Asuma," Sylvanus chuckled. "He's so serious, that couldn't be from anyone else."

Tomoko flicked a single green eye to look at the white-haired man, sniffing a dog biscuit. "You know, I think you're right. So... How about you? What did Jamina end up getting you?"

Sylvanus lifted an eyebrow and grinned. "You're not supposed to tell me it was from her."

"Oh come on, you just needed to look at the wrapping to know it was hers."

"What, kind of like yours?" Sylvanus teased, referencing the mangled paper that had covered Onmar's present.

"Hey, shut up," she snipped. "Just tell me what you got."

Hefting up a cylindrical tub, Sylvanus patted the the side of the object and grinned. "Protein powder!"

"You're such a meat-head."

"We're all 'meat-heads'," Basikisk Jones (The Dimension) muttered, pulling out a pencil and beginning to sketch across his new pad. The stylised "3" tattooed onto his cheek had been altered with black marker to resemble a snowman. "And 'bone-heads' and 'skin-heads'," he completed. "Everyone's heads are made of a variety of tissues and substances."

As the almost robotic man spoke, Gillaume DaVinci (The Friction) sighed past his smile. "Even though he might not say it, I'm happy to see that he's enjoying the sketch pad that I got him."

Patting the top of the hardback set onto the table in front of him, the older gentleman smiled softly and stroked his beard. Peering past the burn scar etched onto the side of his face, he looked down the table at Zeit. Dressed in the paper hat and blue sweater, he looked ridiculous.

"The Divine Comedy," he mused, looking over the title of the book. "A wonderful choice, Zeit. I remember mentioning to you that it was one of my favourites."

A high-pitched squeal pierced the air around the table. Jamina leapt up out of her seat, brandishing a large stuffed elephant. "It's adorable! Whoever got me this, thank you so much!"

Joseph Fehler (The Mistake) pushed his glasses up his nose and broke into a slight smile. Unwrapping his gift, he revealed a small wooden object and turned it over in his hands. It was a small statue of a Budda.

"Thank you Beraht," he said, to the pure white being sat beside him.

"Thanks are not necessary," Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) replied. "To see the enjoyment of a received gift is thanks enough."

"So did you get what you wanted?" Joseph asked.

"Buddhism teaches freedom from desire," Beraht's soft voice responded. "I did not want anything. However... This lotus flower that The Knight has given me truly is beautiful."

Joseph's smile widened as his listened to his fellow Schutzstaffel.

"Tickets to the Opera?" Lenora suddenly asked, turning over the paper in her hands.

"I thought you could do with being exposed to a bit of class," Ferdinand replied, grinning around the cigar in his mouth. "You'll have a good time. Trust me. I own the place."

"Hey, it's better than mine!" Mann called out, waving his present in the air. "All I got was some stuffy old book about war tactics." He turned his attention across the table at Balder, as he continued to shake the copy of Sun Tsu's Art of War. "Wow, I wonder who this was from."

"Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks most of these presents suck," Legion grunted bitterly.

"I like mine!" Dientlynne beamed, heaving up a large glass jar filled with honey. "Look! Look! Kirmie made it for me, using his bees!"

"Speak for yourself..." Clarimond said, grimacing as she lifted up a skimpy set of black lingerie. "When the hell am I supposed to wear this?"

"Whenever you want!" Gabriele giggled, leaning over the table. "Maybe even with me later, if you're up for it."

"Not even if you were the last person on earth," Clarimond shot back, crumpling the bra and underwear into a ball and screwing the wrapping paper up around it.

Sinking back into her chair, Gabriele started to sulk as she opened her gift. As her fingers worked open the tape that held the gift bag together, her expression perked up. Inside was a rose and a note.

It read: **_For Yhwach, from you._**

Looking from the message, to the rose, to the card that she had been working on, she broke into a content smile and hugged the note to her chest.

"You know what I think is a good idea?!" Balder suddenly shouted, rising to his feet. In each hand, he held two bottles of scotch. "I just got these... So we should drink them!"

"Oh no..." Joseph whispered, looking over at the dark-skinned man. "I'm sat in the middle of the table... This is a really terrible idea..."

Without a moment's hesitation, Balder opened and started to chug one of the bottles of scotch. As this occurred, Gabriele snatched a handful of mistletoe from the decorations on the table and made a beeline for Dientlynne. Lenora spontaneously started crying into her glass of red wine at how bad Zeit's present had been. Legion and Snow started to argue.

Finishing the first bottle, Balder swayed on the spot and threw the glass container at a wall.

"Who in their right mind got him that?" Sylvanus asked in utter disbelief.

"I did," Basilisk replied, simply.

"Well that makes sense at least..." Tomoko sighed.

The table was quickly devolving into chaos.

Aya had started to launch insults at Onmar, all the while Gabriele chased Dientlynne around the room. Kirmie was repeatedly reaching up to snatch food, leaving trails of cockroaches in his wake. Legion and Snow's argument began to escalate and grow louder. Haans turned up the volume on his Walkman in an attempt to drown out the noise. Zeit started to pick at one of the many loose threads on his jumper. Joseph bowed his head forwards and slowly started to fall asleep. Asuma tentatively lifted one of the dog biscuits to his mouth and nibbled at the corner, much to the delight of Mann who started laughing louder than ever. Gillaume sighed slightly and flipped open his book, beginning to read in an attempt to ignore everything. Lenora continued to sob into her wine, the patronising pat that Basilisk was applying to her shoulder far from helping. Nina and Eric were dead to the world, completely engrossed in their silent game of chess. Sat by herself, Adelaide half heartedly picked at the leaves of her tree branch. Sat opposite her, Ferdinand puffed on his cigar.

Observing the whole situation, Sylvanus stretched out in his chair and brought his glass to his lips. Letting out a deep sigh, he drained the contents. "Merry Christmas..."

* * *

**[A/N: Happy holidays everyone! This is something I've been planning for the last month or so, so I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Unfortunately this is going to be the last chapter that I post this year, so I hope you all have a really great holiday season. And if any of you need your Thousand Year Blood War fix, just head on over to the Forum and chat amongst yourselves! And if you have any questions for me, feel free to message me or post a topic in the forum!**

**Until the New Year, guys!]**


	75. Lucifer Rising

**Chapter 74: The Theatre Suicide, Scene 1- Lucifer Rising**

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) stopped his assault on Ichigo's group and leapt out of the fray. Touching down on the slant of one of the overhanging tiled roofs, he glanced to the side and watched a column of light erupt into the midnight blue of the night sky.

_Haans?_ his mind questioned. _I can't imagine anyone else jumping the gun and releasing their Vollständig this early. Unless of course one of them was injured... God I hope it's not Joseph... That's the last thing anyone needs right now..._

Following his opponent's line of sight, Ichigo turned his head to the side to look at the glowing white pillar. As his eyes fell on the spectacle, peering through the blood that flowed down his face from the cut on his forehead, Ichigo felt a strange sensation churn inside his stomach.

His friends all felt it too.

Simply gazing upon the spectacle left them with a sinking feeling in the pit of their abdomen. A sense of dread washed over them.

"What the hell is that?" Ganju asked, gripping his wounded left arm and staring at the white column with wide eyes.

Looking down at the group, Onmar answered the stocky man's question with slow, weighted words. "The Vollständig. Proof of our Divinity." His lime green eyes narrowed as the wind caught and tussled his jet black hair. "We take the forms of Angels, servants of His Majesty."

"Well aren't you a bit pretentious?" Yoruichi asked, mockingly. As she spoke she winced in pain as her ruptured liver moved inside her.

"Trust me, the name wasn't my idea," Onmar replied, seemingly disillusioned by the pretension of Yhwach's choice of title.

"So I take it this means you have a form like that as well?" Chad asked, looking up at the Sternritter.

"In a manner of speaking," Onmar said. "The members of the Schutzstaffel's Vollständigs are a bit different from the standard Sternritter. They vary a lot between each of us."

"And why's that?" Ichigo sneered, slightly confrontational in his question.

"Because we're not normal Angels," the black-haired Quincy answered. "We're far more powerful. Dangerous."

"Archangels, then?" Yoruichi asked.

At the word, Onmar gained a slightly disinterested expression. "I guess you could call us that."

* * *

Pure white light shot into the air, illuminating all that it fell upon. It washed over everything, leaving the thousands of buildings that constituted the Wahrwelt with a faint and shimmering glow.

It was so bright that Shunsui Kyoraku instinctively closed his eyes.

Far from the expectant shockwave of power, the Captain Commander suddenly felt an intense suction. The material of his Shihakusho was tugged towards the light. He struggled to pull himself back, only just managing to leap away.

Several dozen buildings surrounding the battlefield vanished, breaking down into their component reishi before being absorbed by the light.

"Dear God..." Kyoraku gasped as he watched the display.

As the blazing pillar shattered, Lucifer rose.

Emerging from the falling shards of light, Joseph Fehler (The Mistake) stepped out into the Wahrwelt.

He barely even resembled himself anymore.

The thick locks of jet black hair that had previously adorned his head had fallen from his scalp, leaving him completely bald. The clothes that had once covered him had almost completely disintegrated, leaving him clad only in a pair of small white shorts. His body had grown gaunt and ever so slightly emaciated, the outlines of his ribs and collarbones jutting out from beneath his milky pale skin. Glowing from beneath his remaining brows, Joseph's eyes had turned completely green, the emerald sheen stretching from corner to corner. Pulled taut across his mouth, pure white skin sealed his lips shut. Beating from his back were a pair of angular glowing white wings and over his head hung a perfectly circular halo.

The bright green covering his eyes shrank into two tiny circles as Joseph glanced over at Kyoraku.

Appearing behind the Quincy, a floating white orb prepared to launch an arrow towards the stunned Soul Reaper.

_Dodge!_ he thought, before catching himself. _No, wait, don't!_

Adopting the same strategy as before, Kyoraku remained where he was. It would have been a mistake to dodge; Joseph would have actually been aiming for his escape route, ready to hit him when his first instinct proved wrong.

Flashing through the night so fast that it was almost untraceable, the arrow slammed into the Captain Commander's chest and blew him back with so much force that he flew over the edge of the Royal Palace and fell down into the open sky.

Snapping suddenly to his senses, Kyoraku found himself stood in the exact same spot as he was before the arrow hit him.

_What on Earth was that? I thought that he just hit me..._

Joseph formed a pure white sphere, floating in the air behind his head. It began to glow faintly as it prepared to launch an arrow.

_The same as before?! Damn! What do I do?! Do I dodge or stay where I am?! I dodge and I fall into the trap of his power; I stay and I'm hit like before! What do I-?!_

"Oh no..." he gasped, suddenly coming to the realisation far too late.

There was more than one orb.

The attack didn't come from the first of the spheres, like Kyoraku's premonition had indicated. Instead, a second much smaller ball, floating over the small of Joseph's back, erupted into a dense rain of tiny needle-like arrows.

Ploughing into the Captain's front, the arrows peppered his entire body, opening hundreds of minute puncture wounds. One of the shots caught him across the side of his left ankle, causing him to stumble as it severed one of his tendons.

**Apologies, Shunsui Kyoraku,** suddenly echoed a voice inside the Shinigami's head. The voice carried a pleasant, slightly musical tone to it. **But I'm afraid that this marks the end of our duel.**

Coughing up blood, Kyoraku stared down at the angelic being with pain-laced eyes. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that the Quincy was speaking directly into his mind.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." he grunted, staring down at the Sternritter. "Are you reading my mind?"

**Well, if that's what you think, I'm sorry to say that you're incorrect, **Joseph's voice said, again piercing through Kyoraku's consciousness. **I am incapable of reading minds. All I am doing is planting the thought of my voice into your brain. **He turned so that he was facing the Captain and tilted his head to the side.** Seeing as my mouth is now sealed.**

Stretching his arms out to his sides, Joseph formed at least a dozen of the small orbs around his body.

**I don't want to kill you,** he commented, the voice filling Kyoraku's head bearing a soft edge of regret to it. **But I'm afraid that after your last attack, I realised that if I don't finish this, then I'm going to wind up dead.**

The white spheres suddenly doubled in number.

**However, I still don't want you to suffer... **Joseph's voice continued. **So I'm going to try and end this as fast as possible.**

* * *

Hurrying through the buildings of the Wahrwelt, Nanao Ise struggled to catch up with her Captain and his opponent.

By the time she had left the group, and given chase, they had already been long gone. Their battled had raged through the numerous buildings, leaving a clear path of destruction in their wake. In spite of the battle, however, both Joseph and Kyoraku were incredibly fast, easily outclassing Nanao and meaning that she was always at least five steps behind.

Nanao had seen the shot of light earlier, and was beginning to panic. Sweat poured down her face and her pulse was racing.

She knew all about how much of a power boost the enemy gained, when they entered their Vollständig. She had assumed that her Captain had been on equal footing to his opponent, but this changed things. It called into question whether he was even still alive.

All of the dense reishi in the atmosphere was distorting her ability to sense Reiatsu.

She had no idea who was winning, or even which direction they were in.

The only way Nanao could hope to find them was through following the traces of their battle on the environment.

_"Hello there, Nanao-Chan! My name is Shunsui Kyoraku, and I'm the Captain of Squad Eight. Oh come now, don't look so worried. I'm extremely cordial to women, so you have no need to fret. That being said, I'm quite indifferent when it comes to the guys, so..."_

_No!_ Nanao thought. _Why am I thinking about that now? It's not like he's going to die. He can't! He's not going to die!_

_"I'm sorry... I can't possibly take it. It's far too important."_

_Please_, her mind begged. _Please still be alive! Don't you dare die!_

* * *

_What the hell is going on?_ Kyoraku thought, leaning his back against a nearby wall and struggling to catch his breath. _I keep having these damn visions... It's got to be something to do with his power, but I can't figure it out at all! At first it seemed like what they predicted was false, to throw me off of what he was really going to do, but as soon as I started following along with them to counter, they started to come true!_

Another swarm of arrows ripped into the building that he was hiding behind, annihilating the structure. As the building collapsed, Kyoraku attempted to flee the wreckage, however was halted by a shooting pain lancing through the side of his torso. One of Joseph's arrows had managed to penetrate his body, skewering one of his kidneys in the process.

His escape impeded by the blow, Kyoraku was buried beneath the falling debris.

**How many times do I have to ask you? **Joseph's voice asked, lapping through his mind like gentle waves washing over sand. **Please cease this futile resistance. All you're doing is causing yourself more pain.**

Floating in the sky over the ruined building, Joseph's pinprick green pupils calmly gazed over the rubble. Beating from his back, his wings whipped up the dust as he began to descend.

"Hado #31: Shakkaho!"

Red flames blasted out of the wreckage and fell upon Joseph.

Suddenly swathed in fire, the Shutzstaffel didn't even blink. Without a moment's hesitation, he absorbed the reishi from which the flames had been constructed.

**It's useless,** his ethereal voice stated. **No matter what you do, you won't be able to defeat me. It would all be so much easier if you just resigned yourself to death.**

Kyoraku leapt from the wreckage, swinging one of his Shikai blades towards Joseph's head.

The Sternritter barely bothered to move. Nonchalantly lifting his left hand, he blocked the blade with his forearm and stared into the Captain Commander's eyes.

He lifted a single finger and placed it against the Shinigami's chest. **Morgenstern.**

In his entire life, Kyoraku had never felt anything like the sensation that suddenly assaulted his body. It was like a nuclear bomb had just exploded close range; all of the force concentrated into a spot, not even an inch wide.

The attack was seen across almost the entire of the Wahrwelt. Conical in shape, it expanded out from Joseph's fingertip and rocketed skyward. As the beam continued to move, it showed no sign of slowing down; continuing to widen and rip through the atmosphere until the tail end began to dissipate. After several seconds, all that remained was a distant twinkle in the night sky. Almost as if a new blazing star had appeared.

The effects of the blast on Kyoraku were devastating.

Despite the attack running through his chest and exiting his back, the resultant shockwave of power that ripped through his body utterly ruined him. His rib-cage was crushed to such an extent that it was almost like gravel moving around under his skin. No less than three of his internal organs were completely liquified, the rest of them either severely bruised or ruptured. The vibrations of the blast quickly grew in intensity, causing his whole body to spasm, resulting in one of his arms and both of his legs breaking.

Catapulted backwards by the sheer force of Joseph's attack, he ploughed through no less than two dozen buildings, without any sign of slowing. Concrete caved behind his back, over and over again, creating a massive and far-reaching path of destruction in his wake.

The Captain Commander's mangled body eventually came to a stop several miles away from his opponent. Rolling backwards, his head hung limply from his neck. Naturally, he had lost consciousness long ago.

For all intents and purposes, he should have succumbed to his injuries and died. Even through the blackness that had settled on his mind, he knew that he wouldn't last long. Kyoraku felt a suffocating weightlessness grip him, almost like he was sinking in water. In front of his eyes, a scene long since passed began to play. Despite its familiarity, Kyoraku felt a curious sense of disconnection from it, like the memory didn't belong to him; or rather that he didn't want it to.

There was a brother, his hands pale and gripped in clammy sweat... He smelt of sickness, the scent of death clinging to him like a veil... Between his fingers, he gripped a long, thin object... A-

"Captain!"

Snapped back from the brink of death, Kyoraku's eyes shot open. No sooner had he done so, the pain assaulted him. It burned like acid, tearing through his nerve endings and searing them raw. Blood surged up his throat and fountained out from between his lips.

Nanao suddenly gripped him by the shoulders and held him down, stopping any sudden movements and the associated risk of splintering any of his broken bones. "Captain, you need to keep still!"

Past the pain that blurred his vision, Kyoraku noticed a bright orange glow surrounding them. Nanao had erected some form of Kido barrier, to shield them from the enemy's senses. Resting on his chest, her lithe hands glowed bright blue as she attempted to heal him. Slowly, his pain started to fade; his body growing numb.

"Nanao... Chan...?" he managed to utter, weakly. As her face came in and out of view, in between his brief but periodic blackouts, Kyoraku noticed that she was crying. Behind her glasses Nanao's eyes were red and bloodshot, puffed up from the sobbing, and large tears rolled down her cheeks. "Don't... Don't cry..."

Gritting her teeth, Nanao struggled to fight back her tears. The Kido that swathed her hands glowed brighter. "Don't talk," she said, trying to maintain her typically forceful and direct persona. "You'll open your wounds again. I've put up this barrier around us, but I had to hurry, so I don't know how effective it'll be. I couldn't carry you very far, so he could still find us, if he looks hard enough."

"Nearly... Nearly died..." Kyoraku said, returning to consciousness. "He's... Strong..."

"Didn't I tell you don't to talk?" Nanao shot at him, past her tears. "And I gave you an order, didn't I? You're not allowed to die."

His mouth curled into a strained smile. "Thank you..."

**You have my compliments, Captain Commander. **The voice sprang up inside Kyoraku's head, though he couldn't see the owner. **It appears that you're far more durable than I gave you credit for.**

There was a shift in the atmosphere.

Despite not hearing the voice Nanao sensed the change, her entire body locking up. Her head shot up as she stared into the night sky. "The air..." she gasped. "It's vibrating..."

**Morgendämmerung.**

Forcing himself to act, Kyoraku fought against the overwhelming pain that gripped him. Lurching forwards, he felt his shattered ribs grind together as he grabbed his Lieutenant around the wrist. "K-Kageoni!"

The pair fell into their own shadows, just in the nick of time. An explosion, so huge that it almost defied reason, rocked the area. A bright and searing white, the blast punched clean through the disk upon which one of the five cities rested and shook the whole Wahrwelt.

Saved from the destruction, Kyoraku felt the effects of his sudden movement and let out a hoarse cry of pain, falling back. The area around the Captain and Lieutenant duo was dark and dank, all colour having seemingly been drained from the surroundings.

Nanao was stunned. Blinking several times, she whipped her head around, in an attempt to come to terms with where exactly she was.

"Just about made it..." Kyoraku gasped, breathing hard and struggling not to move.

"This is one of your Shikai abilities..." she replied, suddenly realising what had happened.

Kyoraku remained silent. It hurt to talk.

"How long can you keep this up?" Nanao asked, leaning over to continue healing her Captain.

"As long as I remain conscious..." Kyoraku ground out, from between clenched teeth. Retching once, he spat blood for a second time. He regretted speaking, but knew that he needed to convey the information, if they were to form a plan. "He can't... can't attack us... as long as we're in here... But... knowing how s-smart he is... he'll know ex-exactly where... we're going to come out..."

"So even though I'm healing you, the odds are still against us..." she said, knitting her brows together.

"About that..." the Captain Commander gasped, clenching his eyes shut. "I want you to stop healing me... Once you're sure my life is no longer in danger..."

"What are you-?"

Her superior cut her off. "I have a plan... I'm... I'm going to use my Bankai."


	76. (Don't) Step On My Grave

**Chapter 75: The Theatre Suicide, Scene 2- (Don't) Step On My Grave**

Joseph Fehler (The Mistake) stared down at the destruction through his pinprick green eyes. White wings beat against his back slowly, keeping him hovering gently in the middle of the night sky. All around him, the numerous glowing white spheres of reishi moved about his body, like planets orbiting a star.

He couldn't see the Captain Commander or his Lieutenant. All things considered, it would have been reasonable to assume that the blast had killed them. Joseph, however, did not believe in making assumptions.

And he could still sense Reiatsu.

Faint, though it was, it was definitely still there.

Gazing down into the gaping void created by his attack, Joseph watched the shadows. He was sure that Kyoraku had activated his Kageoni ability, to escape the explosion. All he would need to do was catch him as he exited the safe haven of the darkness.

Reaching up with a single hand, he smoothed his long spidery fingers over the smooth bald skin of his scalp. Gripping the back of his neck with the digits, he breathed in steadily through his nose.

Every move that he made was slow and purposeful, carrying a weighted air to it.

A flash of black suddenly flickered in the corner of his eye. Turning towards the source of the movement, Joseph's eyes began to glow. The orbs circling his form immediately swarmed in front of him and took aim.

Shunsui Kyoraku stumbled out of a shadow, thrown from the wall of a building overlooking the crater. His entire body was covered with wounds, his eyes bearing a faraway light to them, indicating that he was close to death. Underneath him, his broken legs gave way and he collapsed.

_What is he doing...?_ Joseph caught himself thinking. _He's almost dead, and yet he's still insisting on trying to fight me? Or perhaps..._

**Have you finally resigned yourself to death?** his voice asked, inserting itself into the Captain Commander's mind.

Turning to look the Shutzstaffel in the eyes, Kyoraku broke into a pained grin. Blood stained his teeth and his eyes were red and weary. "Not exactly..." he chuckled.

* * *

**-Five Minutes Earlier-**

"I want you to stop healing me... Once you're sure my life is no longer in danger..." Kyoraku choked out, looking up into Nanao's eyes.

"What are you-?"

Her superior cut her off. "I have a plan... I'm... I'm going to use my Bankai."

"Are you insane?!" the young girl shouted, her forceful and brash nature returning, despite her Captain's dire situation. "You know how much strain it puts on your body to use it! And there's no telling who is close by; who could potentially get caught in it!"

"I... I know..." he uttered. "But right now... Right now we're out of options..."

Nanao remained silent as she listened to him. She tucked in her bottom lip and knitted her thin brows together.

"This guy..." he continued, his voice laced with pain. "He's... He's far too dangerous... to be left alive..." Kyoraku squinted his eyes and grimaced. "I know that... that others could get caught in it... Which is-is why I want you to-to... to heal me... so that my life isn't in danger..."

"So that anyone that's inside the area won't die?" Nanao confirmed.

Kyoraku weakly nodded.

The Lieutenant swallowed hard, her trembling hands remaining over her Captain's chest. She felt as if she was drowning. Helpless. Like this man who meant so much to her was going to die, and nothing she did was going to make a difference.

"Nanao-Chan..." Kyoraku suddenly whispered, interrupting her thoughts. "It'll be okay... Just... Stay here." His voice bore a kind and compassionate tone to it. "You won't be affected by the Bankai of you stay in here... I can't let you get hurt. If I did... I would be breaking a very important promise..."

* * *

His gaze locked with the Elite Sternritter, Kyoraku sank both of his Shikai blades into the ground.

Shadows extended out of his body, etching themselves across the floor surrounding him, in the shape of an eerie black pine tree.

"Bankai: Katen Kyōkotsu- Karamatsu Shinjū."

* * *

Nina Redwing (The Blood) blocked a slash from Nellie's sealed Zanpakuto with her forearm. Sparks shot into the air as the blade grated across the faint red aura that hovered over her outline. The sword edge didn't so much as knick the fabric of her bloodstained Sternritter uniform.

While the Quincy was otherwise occupied, Grimmjow charged her back and lifted his right hand. As he did so, a partial manifestation of his Resurrecćion cloaked his forearm, forming into a jagged set of shadowy claws.

More sparks flickered through the night as the Arrancar's slash ripped down Nina's back. Again, the attack was ineffective.

Lifting her left hand, Nina made a flicking motion with her fingers. Promoted by the action, one of her chakrams buzzed through the sky and rapidly circled her body, forcing her two enemies to back off, from fear of getting cut.

Grabbing hold of the grip of her weapon, Nina turned sideways and quickly dashed her eyes over both of her enemies. A deep intelligence swallowed the light entering her pupils.

_The woman is definitely the more skilled of the two, _Nina thought. _She keeps her centre of gravity low and tries to move in under the arc of my swings. Her body is also loose and fluid. Any force that connects with her sword, she uses the rotate her body and round an attack back at me. Downwards swings. It'll stop her spinning attacks, and will be a good way to counter the way she comes in from below._

Grimmjow lunged at her from the side.

Dipping under the thrust of his clawed hand, Nina swung her chakram upwards in an attempt to slice him up his torso. Leaning back, he avoided the brunt of the attack, however the edge of the blade grated across his skin, but failed to break his Hierro.

_He is definitely the bigger problem, though,_ her mind said, continuing her train of thought. He's too impulsive for me to predict. _He hasn't got a fighting style, all he is is one giant ball of instinct. Any opening and he exploits it, and if there isn't one, he just creates his own. Plus... I'm getting the feeling that he's hiding something. Some kind of trump card. He's still far too confident. It's unsettling._

Stepping back after her swing, to avoid a retaliatory slash from the former Sexta Espada, Nina dug her left heel into the ground and whipped her body around. Just like she predicted, Nel was coming at her from below.

The edge of the chakram flashed downwards so fast that it almost vanished from view.

Eyes snapping open wide, Nel slammed her feet into the ground and crossed her arms over her head. The bladed edge of the chakram slammed into her iron skin, with an astounding crack. While her skin absorbed the majority of the impact, dispersing it over her forearms, a slight cut was opened.

Again, Grimmjow came at Nina from the back.

Kicking off of the ground, the redhead leapt to the side and turned, so that both of the Arrancar were in view. With a single swift move, she had eliminated their two front advantage.

_And..._ she thought. _I've managed to wound one of them._

Nina suddenly shivered. A feeling as if she'd just been hit by an ice cold breeze washed over her. Her eyes snapped over towards the horizon.

Something didn't feel right. The shockwave and earthquake she had felt earlier she had recognised as a result of Joseph unleashing his Vollständig, however this was something different. It wasn't a display of power or the aftershock of an explosion. It felt sinister. Like all life had been sucked out of the area, leaving the surroundings gloomy and dim. A sensation raced down Nina's spine at the speed of light, chilling her to her core and eliciting goosebumps to appear on her skin.

Grimmjow and Nel felt it too.

Combat ceased, all three fighters leaping back and taking time to discern just what was going on.

"Did you feel that?" Nel asked her comrade, her eyes twitching slightly in distress.

"Yeah," he grunted. "No idea what the fuck it is, but I'll be damned if I want to mess with anything like that."

"It's the Captain Commander," Nina stated in a matter of fact manner. As she moved, the translucent red sheen that hovered over her body glowed ever so slightly.

"Huh," Nel mused, narrowing her eyes and turning her attention back towards the red-headed Quincy. "And all this time I thought you were mute."

Nina ignored her. "Judging from the volume and density of the Reiatsu I'm sensing, he probably activated his Bankai."

"You're astute," the green-haired arrancar mused, observing her opponent. From their battle she knew that her opponent was tactical, but now it had become apparent that Nina was also extraordinarily perceptive.

"I like to think so," the Sternritter replied, addressing the former Espadas directly for the first time since their battle began.

_I'm just happy that I'm outside the direct range of his Reiatsu,_ she added, inside her own mind.

"But I have a question," Nel said, keeping her attention tuned on the Quincy. "Why are you finally talking to us?"

"Simple," Nina answered, cocking her head to the side and pointing a single finger at the emerald-haired woman. "Because you're already dead."

* * *

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) felt the chilling sensation of Shunsui Kyoraku's Bankai. However, he lacked the appropriate mental faculties to actually feel the associated level of fear or anxiety.

Instead, as Shinji Hirako and Isshin Kurosaki reacted to the activation of the Captain Commander's Bankai, he chose to capitalise on the distraction. Crossing his arms over his chest, Haans tensed every muscle in his body before violently swinging them outwards. A massive shockwave of psychic power blasted out of his body and slammed into the two off-guard Shinigami, flinging them off of their feet and sending them flying across the courtyard.

As Shinji's concentration was broken, Haans felt his senses return to normal.

"Woooo~!" he hooted, shaking his head and starting to stretch. "Damn, I thought I'd never get out of that one!"

Suddenly distracted by his newly regained ability to see straight, Haans began to mutter to himself and wander about the area, ignoring his opponents.

Rising on unsteady legs, Shinji and Isshin stared over at the Quincy and tightened their grips around the hilts of their Zanpakutos.

"Jheeze..." Shinji sighed. "There goes our advantage... Now he can actually tell where we are."

"What, so it stops working if you're rattled hard enough?" Isshin asked, his voice harsh and standoffish. "Well you're just one big disappointment, aren't you? And I'd heard so much about you from Urahara."

"Hey, shut up," Shinji shot back. "There's more to me than just my Shikai."

"I don't think we should use our Bankais just yet," the senior Kurosaki replied. "This guy hasn't used anywhere near his full power yet. We still don't know what he's capable of."

The Vizard lifted his left hand and placed it over his face. "I wasn't talking about my Bankai."

Swiping his hand downwards, he donned his Hollow Mask. Flashing forwards at high speed, he raised his right hand and began to furiously rotate the appendage. Spinning around the joint of his wrist, Sakanade tore through the air so fast that it resembled an enormous circular saw.

Haans' attention snapped back towards the charging Shinigami Captain. Sky blue eyes flashed bright with moonlight, reflected from the blade of Shinji's Zanpakuto.

A warbled roar emanated from the Vizard as he launched an attack.

Parting his lips into a wide smile, Haans thrust his left arm out and stepped towards his enemy. Having slipped inside the arc of Shinji's attack, he rapped the back of his hand against the Shinigami's wrist, turning the spinninh blade off course.

Through the holes in his mask, Shinji's black and yellow eyes opened wide in horror. _What the hell? He just charged me, while I have my mask on. If he had even been the slightest bit off time, I would have hacked him in half. He's insane!_

Whipping up his right hand, Haans formed a small white bow into his fist and aimed it at Shinji's masked face. "Gotcha'!"

Cupping the fingers of his free left hand, the Captain formed a bright red orb of energy. "Cero!"

As the two attacks were simultaneously launched, an enormous blast of red and blue spirit energy ripped through the open courtyard, echoing with the sound of a thunderclap and shaking the surrounding buildings. Flung from the blast, Shinji's mask shattered and he skidded across the floor. Blown in the opposite direction, Haans flew through the air, laughing as he went. His exposed torso was covered in a number of small burns. As he landed, the belts and chains that covered his body jangled.

"Yee-ouch!" Haans laughed, thrusting his arms out and rebounding up into a standing position. Flicking his eyes down at the wounds, he noticed the flesh starting to bubble and sizzle ever so slightly. "Hollow poisoning, huh? You cheeky dick waffle!"

"Getsuga!"

Isshin was airborne, holding his Shikai over his head. The blade was swathed in an immense torrent of blue and white flames. Bringing the sword down in a single vertical strike, the flames tore downwards through the night sky, illuminating the Sternritter.

"Tensho!"

The resulting explosion eclipsed Haans' body and shot into the air in a towering pillar.

Touching down on the ground, Isshin grabbed hold of Shinji's Shihakusho and yanked him forcefully to his feet. "No small talk, plan now."

The Shutzstaffel launched himself out of the flames, towards the two Captains, and lifted his right arm. Before the Quincy could initiate an attack, Isshin fired another torrent of flames.

Stopping himself short, Haans' boots dragged against the ground and he made a violent swiping motion with his raised hand. The instant he did so, an invisible force swatted aside the fire.

"He's adapting way too quick," Shinji said, hurriedly explaining as Isshin began to repeatedly fire attacks at the Quincy, to hold him at bay. "And he's too unpredictable to strategise. Our best bet it to hit him hard and fast with something he won't expect."

The senior Kurosaki made three fast swings, towards their enemy. "Like what?"

"Take a page out of Kyoraku's book." Behind his lopsided fringe, Shinji's eyes narrowed. "One of us needs to use our Bankai."

* * *

Jushiro Ukitake and Kisuke Urahara suddenly came to a jolting stop. Trailing slightly behind, Nemu Kurotsuchi noted this and followed suit.

After entering the enormous front gate of the Wahrwelt, they had begun to climb through the numerous levels of the massive fortress, and were currently on the fifty seventh floor (assuming that Urahara had been counting correctly). On their way they had encountered numerous Soldat, however all were dispatched relatively quickly. Having not seen a single enemy soldier for the past four floors, the trio assumed that the enemy foot soldiers had likely realised that they were no match for them, and had decided to leave well enough alone.

A chilling sweat clung to Ukitake's face, and his eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Do you feel that?"

Urahara nodded. "Kyoraku is using his Bankai."

"I hope to God that he isn't using it with anybody close by..." Ukitake gasped, wringing his hands around the hilts of his twin Shikai blades.

"Don't worry... I don't think he would use it, if he wasn't sure he needed to," Urahara said, solemnly.

"That's the problem..." Ukitake replied. "I don't even want to imagine the kind of state that he's in right now... And what kind of monster would be walking around, if he fails."

* * *

Akon grumbled under his breath and rubbed one hand over the arch of his back. His spine was aching; a result of having been stooped over for far too long.

For the past several minutes, he (along with the other members of the Research and Development Institute) had been preoccupied with healing the Lieutenants and seated officers that had been wounded by Joseph's earlier assault.

If you could call it that.

Healing wasn't his forte. A more accurate phrase would have been "patch work". While he and the other scientists gathered did have a plethora of medical knowledge, they were far more experienced in taking things apart than putting them back together.

_At least their lives aren't in danger..._ he thought. _They were mostly just flesh wounds. He was aiming to incapacitate, not kill..._

All of a sudden, a chilling cold raced down his spine. From the shivers of his comrades, Akon realised that they must have felt it too.

Before he could question the occurrence, however, he felt something different. Something unexpected.

His body was assaulted by pain. Crippling pain.

Akon felt both of his femurs snap. His kneecaps were crushed, followed closely by both of his tibia and fibula. Falling to his side, his legs flailed uselessly into the air. Immediately afterwards, his left arm twisted uncomfortably before it too broke. Fiery pain ripped through his chest as his ribcage was completely crushed and several of his organs were ruptured. Cuts and bruises formed across his entire body.

Gagging on pain and stifling a scream, he squinted his eyes and stared helplessly across the group, looking for help. What he found horrified him. Everybody else, without exception, was in the same situation as him.

* * *

"First Act: Wound Sharing Hesitation."

Joseph, still floating in the middle of the night sky, felt both of his legs and one of his arms break. His ribcage was utterly ruined and blood began to flow out of his nose; a result of his damaged internal organs.

His luminous green eyes remained on Kyoraku, unmoving and static. **Your Bankai ability, I'm assuming?**

"Damn..." Kyoraku gasped, drooping his eyes and peering past the sweat dripping from his forehead. "You're barely even fazed... I thought that the First Dan would at least cripple you as badly as me..."

**Oh, make no mistake, you have crippled me...** Joseph's voice said, piercing Kyoraku's thoughts. **It's just that, in my current form, I am incapable of feeling pain. It makes for a more efficient soldier. Or so I'm told, at least.** He quickly scanned the surroundings, before returning his eyes to the Captain Commander. **I must say that I'm impressed, though... The area appears far more gloomy. Bleak almost. And this chill I'm feeling... If I wasn't aware that you were almost dead, I would feel legitimately afraid.**

"Thank you for the feedback," Kyoraku grinned, revealing bloodstained teeth. "I'm always looking for opinions on my work... So now... How about this?"

Flames shot into the air around the Sternritter, dwarfing him in bright red and orange fire.

"This is the tragic story of religion gone too far..." the Captain stated. "A sect so devoted to their faith that they chose to purify themselves, before passing on, through self immolation. The Second Act: Baptism by Fire."

Kyoraku used this opportunity to flee. Rolling off of the building, he disappeared into the street below.

Joseph dispersed the flames with a single flap of his gigantic white wings. Wisps of orange scattered into the night. A number of disfiguring burns covered him, his charred flesh starting to peel off. Welts had formed across his chest and back, and his thin muscles, seared an angry red, came in flashes through the blackened skin of his limbs.

As he crawled through the labyrinth of buildings, formed from ice, Kyoraku prepared himself for the intrusion of the musical diction of the Sternritter, into his mind. However, it never came.

_So that's it..._ Kyoraku thought, gritting his teeth as he scrambled across the floor. _He can only project his voice into my mind if he has a direct line of sight._

"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out, Sakuranosuke."

Appearing in the air behind Kyoraku, a figure came into focus. Materialising seemingly out of thin air, the phantom wrapped it arms around his neck and cradled his head gently. Purple locks of hair tumbled over his shoulders and fluttered around the Captain's cheeks.

"You're as passive-aggressive as ever O'hana," he chuckled weakly.

The beautiful woman clinging to him grinned and nuzzled her head into his neck. "Calling me 'your flower'? Someone's getting a bit too familiar."

"Familiar?" he chuckled weakly. "I thought we were the definition of familiar... You are my Zanpakuto after all..."

Coming to a stop beside a door, he slammed his hand into the surface and opened it. Rolling into the building, he took shelter and propped himself up against a wall. Blood started to pool beneath him.

"Maybe I would be more gracious if you called on me more often," O'hana replied sharply, floating around the Shinigami until she was facing him.

"I'm sorry," he said, with a vague hint of sarcasm. "Forgive me?"

The Zanpakuto spirit raised a single eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. "I see you have finally discarded that gaudy disgrace."

"Losing the kimono wasn't my choice," he replied. "I had to sacrifice it to survive one of his attacks."

"Well then that's what you get for wearing another woman's robes."

"You're so mean... Though I suppose that's not exactly out of the ordinary, is it?"

O'hana's painted black lips curled into a sly smile. "As much as I enjoy our little back-and-forths, you are aware that we're working on borrowed time here? It's only a matter of time before he finds you. That is, of course, assuming that he doesn't decide to destroy the entire area. And experience has demonstrated that he isn't exactly concerned with preserving the surroundings."

"Actually..." Kyoraku grunted. "I'm waiting for him to find me... I want to test something."

A rain of arrows descended upon the streets. A series of deafening explosions ripped down the numerous roads of the Wahrwelt, with all the force and intensity of a thunderstorm.

Joseph watched the wreckage and debris, with dead green eyes. He was waiting. Waiting for a flicker of Reiatsu to invade his senses; for a flash of movement to catch his vision.

While his life was in no danger, his wounds were indeed serious. He was unable to feel pain, but he knew that he had taken massive damage. The Captain Commander's Bankai was not to be underestimated. It was dangerous.

_I need to deal with him fast,_ he thought. _Barely alive as he is, a single slip up on my part, and I'm as good as dead. The only problem is... I don't know exactly what his Bankai is capable of. There was nothing in the Daten about it. I need to expect the unexpected._

"The Third Act: Whispers of Life."

Floating midair, behind Joseph, Kyoraku revealed himself. The effects of the explosions on his body were negligible, and his form appeared fluid and transparent.

Whirling around, Joseph directed his orbs to aim a multitude of projectiles at the Shinigami. A thick swarm of shots lanced through the air, filling the midnight blue sky with a blanket of white twinkling lights.

Kyoraku threw himself to the side, in an attempt to dodge the attack. Unable to create effective footholds out of reishi, however, he began to tumble. As he was thrown off-balance, dozens of the arrows slammed into him, ripping his body apart and scattering the pieces onto the buildings below.

Suddenly snapping back to his senses, Kyoraku broke into a slightly pained smile. Still floating in front of his opponent, he swung his arms out to his sides, just as the Schutzstaffel prepared to launch his barrage of arrows.

After they were fired, they all passed through him, almost as if he wasn't even there.

In response to this, Joseph's pinprick eyes opened wide in shock.

"Released from his living body, by death, the man lingers in the afterlife as a ghost. Unable to touch or interact with anything around him." The Captain Commander's ethereal form began to ripple and fade slightly. "While this Act is being performed, nobody inside the range of my Reiatsu is able to interact with anything, be it in the physical or not. But of course you didn't know that, did you... Which is why the vision I had was wrong."

**So you've finally figured out the power of my Vollständig, **Joseph's voice stated, entering Kyoraku's mind.

"You've been placing these visions in my head," he said, confirming the Quincy's suspicions. "And by choosing whether or not to follow through with them, you've been throwing me off. Forcing me to make mistakes. But that's the problem... To insert them into my mind, you need to come up with them and predict outcomes yourself. Which is why you didn't know that there was no need for me to dodge your arrows just now."

**Clever,** Joseph's voice stated, significantly impressed. **However we now find ourselves at an impasse. For, while it is true that I am unable to harm you, the opposite is also true for you. Plus... Sooner or later, you will either run out of power or finally succumb to your injuries and lose focus. At which point, your Bankai will disengage, granting me a prime opportunity to land a killing blow and finally end your life.**

"Then it seems that I have no other choice than to kill you."

Kyoraku said this with such sincere intensity that Joseph was taken aback. Blinking twice, he corrected himself.

**Quite a substantial bluff, **his voice said. **But a bluff, and nothing more. Exposed and broken as you are, you have no feasible way of damaging me, without me killing you first. While your tenacity speaks for itself, in terms of speed and strength, I must give in to vanity and admit that I have you beaten.**

"You've got me there..." Kyoraku said, breathing heavily as the wounds that covered his body began to burn more than ever. "You outclass me in almost every way... There's no denying that..." A faint twinkle sparkled behind his eyes. "But that's exactly what trump cards are for."

Suddenly forming out of thin air, wire thin strings of pure white reishi gently began to fall from the sky. Whirling around, the ribbons started to spiral, looping over Joseph's head and settling down onto his shoulders.

Sheathing both of his sword, Kyoraku bowed his head and closed his eyes. Flickering from the fingers of his right hand, a white thread of reishi rippled out into the air and snaked its way towards the Sternritter.

Materialising again behind the Captain Commander, O'hana looped her arms around his neck and sighed. "So... You've decided to use that, huh?" Her thick eyelashes batted gently as she broke into a smile. "At least you're not completely hopeless."

"The story is conclude in the final Act," he began, slowly moving his arms. "Formerly oblivious to the true feelings of the woman he loved, the man finally becomes aware, only after lingering in limbo. Regret descends upon him, swirling around and binding him, like a tight suffocating thread."

As if prompted by the Captain's words, the wire wrapped around Joseph's neck suddenly tightened. Snapping tight to his skin, it continued to constrict, until it eventually cut off his airway.

Kyoraku lifted his right hand, the trail of white reishi rippling in its wake. "The least I can do for you is cut that thread. That unsightly regret coiling around you."

Joseph lifted his unbroken right arm so fast that it almost vanished. The orbs that had previously surrounded him were sucked in and compacted into a single impossibly dense ball, at the tip of his finger.

The Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen tugged hard on the thread.

Joseph's eyes widened. **Morgenstern!**

"The Final Act: Thread-Cutting Scissors on a Blood-Streaked Throat."


	77. Curtain Call

**Chapter 76: Curtain Call**

Sat on the edge of a low wall, bordering the front garden of somebody's house, a little boy was reading a paperback book. Due to the poor quality of the print, his fingertips were stained black with ink, matching the dark locks that wound their way about his face. Behind a pair of large wire-rimmed glasses, his emerald green eyes scanned the page.

Passing in front of him, another young boy glanced down at the reading youth. No sooner had he done so, he lost his footing. Too preoccupied with his attention on the other child, he failed to notice that the path suddenly took a sharp dip. Falling face-first onto the concrete, his forehead slammed into the ground and a small cut was opened.

Shocked by the fall, the first boy sat stunned, blinking down at him.

Clearly embarrassed by the accident, the second child fumbled with his words and looked up. Laying eyes on the black haired boy, an air of realisation passed across his face.

"You did this!" he said, rising with tears in his eyes and pointing an accusing finger at him.

As the threats started to come, Joseph Fehler sighed and closed his eyes. This was the way things always were. Misfortune followed him everywhere he went. And no matter who it was that it befell, they would always blame him. Word had long since spread throughout the small village about him. The boy that caused trouble. The jinx.

He didn't mind. He didn't care.

He was nice. He knew that much. That eventually, one day, people would respond the way he wanted them to. They wouldn't look upon him with disdain; rather, with a smile.

Joseph reached down to help the boy to his feet.

The retaliatory punch caught him in the side of the face. Due to Joseph preparing to speak, however, his mouth was open. The fist jammed inside his open mouth, and the skin from the boy's knuckles snagged on Joseph's teeth. Blood poured down his hand as searing pain raced through his limb.

Crying out in pain, the child retreated his fist and stumbled back.

Time almost seemed to slow. Joseph saw the truck, in the corner of his peripheral vision, and instinctively lunged forwards. Grasping the boy around the wrist, he attempted to yank him back out of the road.

Unfortunately, it was far too late.

Blood fountained over Joseph is a tidal wave of red, soaking his entire body. He was left wide-eyed, holding the child's severed arm.

Behind his glasses, Joseph's eye started to twitch.

He knew he would be blamed. He always was.

So he did what came naturally.

He ran.

* * *

Shunsui Kyoraku knelt beside the bed, upon which his dying brother lay. Clammy sweat clung to his body, chilling him to the core. His young face was contorted into an unfitting expression of sorrow; sadness etched into his features.

His brother was so ill that he didn't even look like himself anymore. Gaunt and haggard, his pale skin was stretched tightly across his skull, the bones of his features jutting out. His arms, lock-jointed and weary, were spindles of what they once were; thin and depressing, like the branches of a tree in autumn.

His hand was raised and he was holding something between the tips of his matchstick fingers. Narrow, elegant and tipped with pinwheel flowers.

A pair of hairpins.

"Shunsui..." he gasped, weakly. "I'm going to need you to... Hang on to these for me..."

His hand started to tremble, threatening to fall back onto the bed. A metallic ring shuddered out as the vibrating pinwheels rattled together. Reaching out, Shunsui gently cupped his brothers wrist between his palms, steadying his hand.

Eyes growing hazy and vacant, Shunsui's brother forced down a deep breath. "And please... Look... Look after..."

He stopped short. Strength vanished from his arm; his hand falling limp. Kyoraku was left wide-eyed, holding his dead brother's hand.

His eyes started to twitch, brimming with tears.

He knew what his brother had wanted to say. That was always the way it was. He was always left looking after other people's precious belongings.

So he did what came naturally.

He stayed.

* * *

_Why did I have to think about that now, of all times?_

* * *

The cone of destruction, left by Joseph Fehler (The Mistake)'s Morgenstern, ripped horizontally into the horizon, annihilating half of the disk, upon which their battle had raged. Buildings and chunks of ice were either vaporised or ripped from their foundations, tumbling down into the black open air.

Streaking into the sky, in the opposite direction, a white and red streak licked at the night.

In the aftermath of the two attacks, the very air grew thick and heavy. Sticky and static-charged with power.

Two figures, previously airborne, fell into the still-remaining wreckage of the Wahrwelt.

A pair of dull thumps echoed through the surroundings. Joseph's head landed on the ground and bounced twice, rolling along the shattered tiles before stopping. Pinprick green eyes stared up at the stars. Moments later, his body joined it, crashing down several feet away.

Shunsui Kyoraku, Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen, landed face down in the rubble. More than half of his torso had been completely atomised, a semi-circle of his form missing and empty. His neck tugged sideways by the thread of Kyoraku's Bankai, Joseph's attack had been flung wide, missing his centre and blasting off his right arm and a massive chunk of chest.

Silence settled down on the scene, as the clack of rubble eventually died down.

* * *

Nanao Ise was flung from the shadow dimension, out into the suffocatingly thick reishi of the Wahrwelt. Stunned by the sudden change in location, she lost her footing and tumbled across the rubble, falling down a massive pile of wreckage and landing in a patch of remaining snow.

Hurriedly scrambling to her feet, she whipped her head around in a frantic attempt to locate her Captain.

Being thrown from the shadow dimension had panicked her. It meant that Kyoraku was either unconscious or dead. She prayed to every God that she had ever heard of that he was only unconscious. She couldn't lose him. Not now.

Her senses were going haywire. The aftershocks from the dual attacks, not to mention the impossibly dense reishi in the air, was playing havoc with her ability to detect Reiatsu.

Running into the ruins, she began to search for Kyoraku.

**Now this is a surprise...** a voice suddenly said, piercing through her consciousness.

Sharply turning her head, Nanao laid eyes on the head of Joseph Fehler. It sat separate from his body, on its side and nestled in the cracks of a number of shattered tiles. His green eyes were staring at her; light from the moon glinting off of his bald head.

**I didn't expect you to have survived.**

Nanao fumbled with her words; the sound of her voice catching in her throat. "What... You...-"

**Don't panic,** Joseph's voice said, splitting her thoughts. **I can't hurt you anymore. In fact... I think I may have lost.**

"Where... Where is my Captain!" her voice quavered as she spoke. Tears started to form in her eyes, behind her glasses.

**Would you believe me if I said that I didn't know?** His voice bore a soft edge of sadness to it. **I'm sorry if that isn't the answer that you wanted to hear. But... I did try to kill him, after all.**

Nanao took a step forwards and gritted her teeth. Rage filled her eyes, brimming up behind her tears. She lifted one hand and pointed it at Joseph's head.

**I suppose you want revenge?** he speculated. **I can understand that. It's the way that it always is. Believe me, I'm more than used to being on the receiving end of it.**

She didn't say anything. Her teeth gritted together and she could hear the roar of her own blood in her ears.

**I am sorry,** Joseph said, calmly. **Truly I am. I didn't want to have to kill any of you.**

"Then why did you-?" Nanao spat out, finally finding her voice once again. A single drop of moisture fell from her eye and bounced down her bright red cheek. "Why did you do this?!"

**Because that's what I do,** he replied. **That's what I always did. I make people's lives miserable. I was never even meant to be born. I am a Mistake.**

"So, what? You decided to just give up and do what everyone expected you to do?" Her words were bitter and filled with hate.

**I did what I thought was best. I wanted people to be happy. To actually depend on me for once. That's why I let the children play tick tack toe with thumbtacks on my back. It's why I let Mama and Papa take it out on me. It's why I joined Yhwach. I didn't want to kill your Captain; really I didn't. I was just doing what I was told. But I knew that if I didn't kill him, he would kill me. And I didn't want to die. I don't want to die. Not just yet, anyway. But now... My Heiligenschein is gone. It's only a matter of time.**

"Or I could just kill you now," Nanao suggested, Kido glowing from her raised palm.

**Go right ahead,** Joseph said, half-heartedly. **But... I know it's not my place to ask this... But as last requests go, I don't think it's too bad.**

Nanao squinted her eyes and squared her jaw.

**Do you think, before I die... I could see you smile?**

Fighting back the urge to shake with rage, Nanao closed her eyes and turned away from the discarded head. She didn't say a word. She simply walked away.

**Huh...** Joseph's voice laughed, once. **I didn't think so...**

* * *

"Damn..." Snow (The Yuki-Oni) gasped, staring out of one of the hundreds of thousands of buildings of the Wahrwelt. "That was some blast... And that other attack, heading in the opposite direction... I pity the poor son of a bitch who got caught in the middle of that."

Looking down at his right hand, he mechanically opened and closed his fingers; clenching his fist over and over again with slow and deliberate movements.

_They're all monsters out there..._ he thought. _Every single one of them. And from this point on, it's only going to get worse... The smart thing would be to stay out of all of it, and hide in here. But... Beraht has seen me now. He knows that I'm here. And that means His Majesty does as well._

Reaching inside the well-tailored jacket of his Sternritter uniform, he pulled out the bright silver disk containing Toshiro Hitsugaya's Bankai. Staring down at it, he watched his reflection.

During the battles, his hair had been cut, the ponytail that previously trailed down his back now a short white stub. Still observing his face in the medallion, he moved his left hand behind his head and removed the band that held his white locks together. White hair tumbled back around his face, framing it and reaching his shoulders.

_I don't want to die..._ Snow thought to himself. _But either way, if I fight or if I hide, that looks like exactly what's going to happen._

Turning around, he walked across the room, towards the bottle of red wine that he had ordered a Soldat to bring him. Gripping the cork between his teeth, he yanked it out of the bottle and lifted it up into the air.

"Oh well..." he mused, bringing the rim of the bottle to his lips. "Here's to poor decisions."

He drank the entire thing.

* * *

Nanao found her Captain face-down in the middle of a mountain of wreckage. He was bleeding so profusely that it would have been safe to assume that more of his blood was outside of his body than in. His missing arm and section of his chest stared at her like an evil eye; the empty space seemingly swallowing everything that came near.

The second she saw him, Nanao sprinted towards the site. Tears poured down her face. She felt sick. Her heart kicked frantically against the inside of her ribcage.

As she reached Kyoraku, Nanao had to swallow the urge to vomit.

Her hands started to sporadically tremble.

_No..._ her mind gasped, her inner voice warbling. She started to freak out. Panic. _It can't be. No. No! He's not dead! He can't be dead! He promised me that he wouldn't-!_

A low groan snapped her from her myriad of terrified ramblings.

Shunsui Kyoraku was still alive.

She barely even had to think. Instinct took over.

Nanao's hands robotically shot out; Kido encircling them in a blazing glow. She didn't dare move him; didn't risk rolling him onto his back. The blood pouring from his wound slowly began to stop flowing. Watching her Captain intently, she didn't once blink. Not until she knew he was alright. She wouldn't take her eyes off of him.

Kyoraku stirred slightly.

"Don't you dare even think of moving!" Nanao sobbed, gripping his Shihakusho tightly and holding him in place. The Kido clinging to her hands glowed brighter than ever. "I'm not letting you open your wounds again! So...! So just stay there! Please!"

"I'm... I'm sorry..." he barely managed to choke out.

"Don't apologise!" she screamed. "If you apologise now it means you won't be able to do it later! It's like you're admitting you're going to die! So don't you dare! Live! Live and tell me you're sorry later!"

* * *

Jushiro Ukitake and Kisuke Urahara both slowed to a halt. They felt the immense shockwave of power, brought about by Joseph's final attack. Behind them, Nemu Kurotsuchi (still carrying Rangiku Matsumoto on her back) slowed her pace and stopped in her tracks.

Turning to the side, the group stared out of one of the numerous archways bordering the outside of the Wahrwelt. In the distance, they watched as the attack annihilated half of one of the floating cities.

"Dear god..." Ukitake gasped, the destruction reflecting in the black of his pupil. "Shunsui..."

"That's where he was fighting," Urahara confirmed, gripping the shaft of his cane tightly. "Now we know why he decided to use his Bankai..."

For several seconds nobody spoke. The very air grew still and quiet.

"He'll be alright," Ukitake suddenly said, turning towards his companions. He broke into a smile. "Call me crazy, but I just can't imagine Shunsui losing."

Urahara returned the smile. "You're a good friend."

Turning back towards the path ahead of them, the foursome continued on their way, until they reached a fork in the road. Two other pathways, connecting with their own at the intersection, opened up in front of them.

A dull freeze hung in the air, chilling them to their cores.

They stopped again. Something was off.

Leading from one of the pathways, and disappearing down the other, into the depths of the darkness, was a dripping trail of blood.

Urahara narrowed his eyes and observed the trail. "Looks like we're not the first ones here."

Nemu lowered Matsumoto to the ground and look several steps towards the dark red spots. Kneeling down, she reached out and dipped a finger into one of the miniature pools, before sticking it into her mouth.

"O Negative." She looked up at Urahara, flatly. "And the Reiatsu signature... It's Quincy."

* * *

_**[A/N: Daniel here! I know it's been a while since I've updated, and for that I expressly apologize! Now that I'm back, I'm hoping to get back onto a more regular schedule.**_

_**For anyone interested in more Thousand Year Blood War goodness, I highly encourage you all to read Everflames' story: Crimson Star Knight! As far as I'm concerned, it's canon within the timeline of Blood War and can be considered as Nina Redwing's official backstory! So check it out!]**_


	78. The Deadman

**Chapter 77: The Deadman**

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) opened its triple-pupiled red eyes. It had just sensed Joseph's life ending. Lucifer had fallen from heaven. Another Star was snuffed out by the Shinigami.

And yet, it did not weep. It did not express remorse or sadness, over the death of one of its own. Beraht expected there to be casualties; knew that this was the way that life was. Fleeting and sudden.

A strange pulse of sensation suddenly raced across its body.

Its Reikaku picked up on something. A familiar power, making its way through the Wahrwelt. Heading towards the Throne Room.

Had Beraht not been focussed on feeling the battle between Shunsui Kyoraku and Joseph Fehler, it would have not even noticed it. Whoever it was was making an extra effort to hide their Reiatsu.

The pure white being remained perfectly still, hands resting on top of the knees of its crossed legs. The strange eyes, set into its skull, stared straight ahead, glued to a fixed point in the distance.

One of the four cloaked figures approached Beraht from the back, the robes rustling through the silence of the throne room.

"You've felt it too?" Beraht asked the shrouded individual. "More threats, encroaching on His Majesty."

"Should we leave to intercept them?" the figure asked. "Take action against the threat."

"Right action is the reverence for all life," the ethereal creature stated. "It is the action of love and non-violence. I would implore you not to shed blood, but to help them find the road to enlightenment. To give up their anger, this futile resistance, and join us under His Majesty."

"And if they refuse?"

"Then you will escort them to nirvana. Death, while regretful, is the ultimate peace. Death is silence, death is stillness; death is freedom from all sufferings of life. If death were to befall them, then do not feel guilt. Simply know that you did your utmost, and that they have finally found peace."

* * *

Ryuken Ishida felt the numerous shockwaves of power, followed by the disappearance of the two massive Reiatsu sources. He lifted a single eyebrow in vague interest and glanced sideways, peering through his glasses and out of the building. Past the marble pillars that supported the immense ceiling, he watched the destruction.

He could hear heavy breathing from outside of his peripheral vision.

"If this is the best that you can do, then I'm severely disappointed," he said, apathetically. "I didn't expect the legendary Sternritter to be so weak that I, a man without a Schrift, would be able to trounce you so easily."

Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) gritted her teeth and glared at Ryuken out of her one remaining purple eye. Blood seeped out of her skin, around her left shoulder, soaking the white material of her uniform and turning it red.

Since night had fallen, her ability to control light had severely diminished. While the walls of the Wahrwelt emitted an ever so slight glow, and the moon was shining brightly, none of it compared to the pure unbridled light of the sun. That, combined with the fact that her darkness-based powers severely drained her Reiatsu, ensured that she was at a major disadvantage when it came to direct combat. As one of the Sternritter that relied a lot on her Schrift for combat, her skill with a bow or sword were nowhere near the level of the Orthodox Quincy currently stood before her.

Then there was the problem of her Vollständig. After the wounds dealt to her by Mayuri Kurotsuchi's suicide attack, as well as all the power she had expended, Clarimond wasn't even sure that she could activate it anymore.

_And even if I could..._ she thought. _I would rather save it. Use it as a trump card, in case things really start to get bad for me. But this guy... He shouldn't be this strong!_

Emitting a hiss of rage, she lifted the reishi crossbow in her right hand and began to chain bolts towards her opponent.

As the arrows reflected in the surface of his glasses, Ryuken nonchalantly flicked his eye back towards the girl. The soles of his shined leather shoes flashed across the floor, glowing reishi shining from beneath them.

He reappeared behind Clarimond, the stout bow in his right hand raised and glowing as he prepared to fire his own arrow.

"I've taken your back," he stated, weightily. "Now, answer my questions. What is my son planning?"

"I already told you: I don't know!" Clarimond shouted. "I don't even know where he is right now!"

Ryuken shot a single thin arrow out of his bow, opening a deep gash on Clarimond's cheek. "Liar."

"I swear to Yhwach," she spat out. "You're going to pay for this! I am going to make you pay!"

"That'd be a neat trick," Ryuken said, stoically. "Ordinarily I might have believed you. However, looking at the state that you're in now... I don't like your chances."

Another arrow sliced across Clarimond's pale skin. This time the flesh of her neck was parted; blood slipping down onto the collar of her jacket.

"Where is Uryu?" he repeated.

"You're a dead man," Clarimond hissed, through the pain. Her left hand lurched up to her face and she started to gnaw on the bloody base of her thumb. "A Quincy attacking one of his own. Allying with Shinigami. Yhwach is going to kill you for this. Slowly."

Ryuken ignored the threat. "That's a terrible habit," he said. "A nervous tick like that is usually brought about by extreme trauma."

"Shut up!" she screamed, whirling around on the spot. Her monochrome hair fanned out around her, whipping outwards in streaks of black and white.

She raised her bloody left hand and pointed her index finger towards her opponent. Her right hand did the same, only with the reishi crossbow that she wielded. The blood from her missing fingers glinted red in the light thrown by the white reishi.

A Heilig Pfeil, and a beam of Heilig Licht, seared through the dull darkness of the chamber.

With a flash, however, Ryuken was gone. Hirenkyaku sped him about the room, dodging all of the subsequent blasts from the girl.

"Marksmanship," he said, as he dashed around, "is the staple skill of a Quincy." He ducked his head as an arrow whizzed inches from his scalp. "Even missing an eye, there should be no excuse for such sloppy shooting. You've clearly been ignoring the basics. Power means nothing if you can't hit your opponent."

Swiping his hand sideways, as he moved, Ryuken launched a rain of arrows towards the Sternritter. The small blasts slammed into Clarimond's front, taking her off of her feet and blowing her back. The attack was more to throw off balance than pierce, the front edges of the arrows being severely blunted, thus no wounds were opened on the girl.

Falling back and sliding across the ground, Clarimond cried out in a mixture of pain and frustration.

She couldn't understand why this was happening. She was a Sternritter. One of the twenty six strongest Quincy who had ever lived.

_So why?_ she thought. _Why is he so powerful? Why is he outclassing me at every turn?!_

Rolling to the side, she dodged a second wave of arrows and fired her won back in retaliation. All of her attacks were easily avoided by Ryuken, further adding to her distress and frustration.

_Damn him! **Damn** him! No matter how much I shoot, he just dodges all of my attacks! If only I could-_

She stopped short, in her train of thought. A smile curled across Clarimond's bloody lips.

Suddenly ceasing her dodging, she dispersed her crossbow and raised both of her hands, splaying all of the remaining fingers.

"I'll admit, you had me on the ropes," she laughed, one royal purple eye opening wide, the other burnt and disfigured socket pulsing. "But that ends now, Ishida! After all... You can't dodge what you can't see!"

Ryuken pulled a slightly confused expression, as Clarimond started to laugh.

"Gottlosen Finsternis!"

* * *

As he felt Joseph's Reiatsu disappear, Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) ground his teeth together. Out of all the surviving members of the Sternritter, and the Schutzstaffel, Joseph was the last one that he expected to die. One of the few that he hoped would survive.

Sat on the edge of a white tiled roof, he hugged one knee close to his chest and rested his chin on top of the joint. He started to shiver.

Onmar regretted relinquishing his jacket during the fight with Sylvanus. He regretted the fight even more.

He cast a single slow gaze towards the mountainous structure of the Wahrwelt. Regret tugged at him, and inside his chest, his heart fluttered. Eyes the colour of faded limes twisted in sadness.

A harsh grunt of effort echoed down the road, beneath him.

Yoruichi Shihoin stood, legs trembling slightly beneath her, and took a number of laboured steps towards Onmar. To her left, Ichigo Kurosaki and Yasutora Sado were pinned against the ground. Orihime had long since been pulled from the battlefield, by Ganju.

"Wow..." Onmar mused, vaguely impressed. "Aren't you more than a little bit of a monster... Even under nine times normal gravity, and with a ruptured liver, you're still able to stand." His eyes narrowed. "You're even walking."

"Thanks for the compliment," Yoruichi grinned, peering through the sweat that had started to bead against her forehead. "But if you're impressed by this, then you haven't seen anything yet."

"Is that right?"

The crack of a gunshot split the air. Onmar had summoned his reishi pistol back into his right hand and fired a shot down at the dark-skinned woman. A small pock-mark was blasted into the ground.

Onmar's eyes twitched open wide. Yoruichi had dodged the shot. Lightning was crackling off of her shoulders, pulsing through the air.

She was fast. Inhumanly so.

_And under nine times normal gravity, too..._ he thought.

Slowly rising to his feet, Onmar formed another gun into his free left hand and trained both of his sights on the former commander of the Stealth Force.

"You're tenacious," he said, preparing himself for combat and tensing his muscles. "You remind me of someone I know." A slight grin plucked at the side of his mouth. "You just don't know when to give up."

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) glanced down at the thin trail of blood left behind in his wake. The minor wounds sustained in his fight with Onmar were all bleeding, albeit only slightly. They were still leaving droplets behind; like bloody breadcrumbs.

It was slow going, so he was leaving more behind than he would have liked. He could be followed.

But he had to take this approach. He had to sneak in to the Palace. It was the only way he could approach Yhwach. Bypass the guards by taking the long way around, and kill him while he was still asleep.

This was the last precious chance that Onmar had given him.

After his best friend had grabbed him, after he had removed the effects of the increased gravity on him, Onmar had told him to do the right thing.

Because, as his friend, he couldn't bring himself to kill him.

Rustling around his body, Sylvanus' best friend's jacket clung tightly to his large frame. The numerous buttons jangled ever so slightly, clacking together with small metallic sounds. It was the last gift Onmar would ever give him.

Reaching up, he gripped the material of the lapels and held it tightly to his chest. A comforting feeling washed over him. It felt like Onmar was still with him.

"I didn't expect to see you again! And so soon as well!"

Sylvanus' head shot back behind him, his gaze falling on the individual now stood a way down the path. A man in a moss green cloak held up both of his hands, for a cheerful wave. Beneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, he beamed out a lighthearted smile.

Kisuke Urahara pulled out his collapsible fan and playfully wafted cool air into his face.

Sylvanus immediately jumped back, lifting his fists in front of his face.

"Kisuke!" suddenly called out a voice from further down the pathway. "Kisuke! I thought you were the one who said we needed to stick together! Please don't run off like that again."

Jushiro Ukitake came into view, running towards Urahara's back. His white hair bounced around his face, and his footsteps echoed off of the perfectly flat white walls that surrounded them.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, upon laying eyes on the Sternritter. "It's our friend from the Gate."

"Of course," Urahara smiled. "I believe our friend here is the one with O Negative blood."

"Reiatsu signature is a perfect match to the sample that I took," Nemu Kurotsuchi said, popping up behind Ukitake.

Dropping the unconscious body of Rangiku Matsumoto, she mechanically walked towards the Quincy soldier. Sylvanus, still on guard, took a step back and prepared to defend himself. The artificial girl, however, ignored his defensive stance and grabbed him around the wrist.

Crying out in dismay, Sylvanus was yanked forwards by the arm, towards Nemu.

"You have a stress fracture in your left arm," she said, her face completely flat and unmoving. "Don't worry. I'll pin it for you."

The whole procedure happened so fast that Sylvanus barely had room to protest; his face gripped by dismay, the entire time. Once Nemu was finished, he was left with an embarrassed blush, etched across his cheeks.

"Um... Th-thanks..." he stammered briefly, lifting his left arm and examining the work.

Nemu nodded and turned away from him, walking back towards the discarded Lieutenant before lifting her back up onto her back.

"So what brings you here?" Urahara asked with a smile. "The amount of time we have been separated, I would have thought that you would be well on your way to killing the King."

Sylvanus' eyes flicked downwards, his breath hitching in his throat. "I... There were... Complications."

"You met a friend?" Ukitake asked, picking up on the regret prevalent in the Quincy's voice.

He nodded. "I did."

"And you had to kill him?" the white-haired Captain asked, a sorrowful weight of understanding in his voice.

"No." He stopped briefly to laugh ever so slightly. "No. There's no way that I, or anyone for that matter, could ever kill him. No... We just..." He hesitated. "Said goodbye. For the last time."

"So this friend of yours," Urahara began. "Is there any chance of us running into him here?"

Sylvanus shook his head. "He's gone now. All of the Schutzstaffel, barring one, are."

"Well that certainly makes things a lot easier."

"Don't count on it," the grey-haired man said, lowering his brows. "I don't know if you can sense it, but there's some really strange Reiatsu coming from deeper into the Palace. It's why I've been taking the long way around; to avoid whatever it is."

"Smart," Urahara said.

"No it's not," Sylvanus replied. "If I were smart, then I wouldn't be trying to kill Yhwach."

"Then I guess that makes us all idiots," Ukitake said, lightheartedly smiling.

"So what do you say?" Urahara asked the Quincy, gripping the rim of his hat and joining his comrade in smiling. "Why don't you join us? Four idiots walking to our deaths. If I were you, I would at least want the company."

The tanned Sternritter shook his head and laughed under his breath. "Something tells me you're not going to take no for an answer."

Urahara only offered a sly grin, in response.

"Well then we need to get going," Sylvanus explained. "Right now Yhwach is asleep. That means that he's vulnerable."

"Naturally," Urahara commented.

"But how do you know he won't wake up?" Ukitake asked.

"Because it's a different kind of sleep," the Quincy replied. "It's something that he has to do, every night, or he will lose his powers. Trust me, he won't be waking up for at least another hour."

"Then this is our best chance," Ukitake said, turning towards the darkness that extended down the corridor behind Sylvanus. "We end this now."


	79. The Counterpoint Offensive

**Chapter 78: The Counterpoint Offensive**

Shunsui Kyoraku lay on his back, staring up at the night sky through dazed half-focussed eyes. After several minutes of desperate, powerful Kido, Nanao had finally managed to close his wounds and secure his life. Only then had she rolled him onto his back. She was still kneeling over him, her hands placed onto what remained of his chest.

"Nanao... Chan..." he whispered, weakly. "I'm... I'm sorry about... All of this..."

"You just concentrate on getting better," she said. "How am I supposed to kick your ass if you're nearly dead?"

Kyoraku laughed once, before stopping to retch with pain. "Still... Still the same old Nanao-Chan..." A fat tear rolled down the side of his face. "Not... Not at all like your mother."

At the mention of her mother, Nanao was taken aback. Shock etched onto her face; eyes widening behind her glasses. "What...?"

"I should have told you before..." he said, his voice weak. "But... Honestly... I wanted to forget about it..."

Nanao briefly remembered a scene from her childhood. Hiding just out of sight, inside her house, as her mother met with a man on their porch. It was a summer day; the air warm and the sky clear. She could smell freshly cut grass and pollen. The man was young; his hair tied back behind his head in a long ponytail and fastened in place by a pair of elegant hairpins. He sat with his back to the door, stopping Nanao from getting a good look at his face. Opposite him, her mother was draped in the flowery pink Kimono that she always wore. So similar to the one that Kyoraku wore.

"I promised her... That I would keep you safe..." Kyoraku continued. "Promised my brother that I would... Look after you both."

Nanao said nothing. She simply sat and listened to him speak.

"I'm always... Always asked to look after people's precious things... So I think- I think that's why your mother gave it to me."

"Gave you what?"

"I shouldn't have taken it..." he muttered, incoherently. "It was because I took it... Because I hid it... That she was executed."

"What did she give you?" Nanao said, this time with more urgency. "What did my mother give you?"

"Your Zanpakuto..." Kyoraku said, weakly.

Stunned by the revelation, Nanao paused for a second. Her mouth may have even been hanging open. "My... My what...?"

"Your Zanpakuto..." he repeated, glancing sideways at his Lieutenant. "And right now... Now I think that it's time I gave it back. Because... Because I think that it's the only thing that can end this war."

The horizon lit up as, in the distance, a lightning bolt crashed down into the Wahrwelt.

* * *

Yoruichi Shihoin lunged at Onmar Gunther (The Gravity), with lightning blazing from her back.

She was far faster than Onmar had anticipated, especially considering the fact that he was currently utilising the full extent of his Schrift. Nine times normal gravity seemed to have, for the most part, only succeeded in pissing her off. She was just as fast as Captain-level Shinigami, under normal circumstances. And twice as vicious.

Jumping back, from his vantage point on the tiled roof, Onmar's torso swayed back and forth, keeping time with her swings and avoiding the frantic series of swipes that Yoruichi was aiming at his head.

Rapidly lifting his right hand, he aimed the barrel of his gun directly at her face. Within a fraction of an instant, he squeezed the trigger.

The shot missed.

Noting the movement of his arm, Yoruichi pre-emptively lurched her head sideways, allowing the bullet to pass her by. Immediately retaliating, she balled her own right hand into a fist and threw a punch at Onmar's face.

Not expecting the swing, and too focussed on shooting her in the face, the attack caught Onmar off-guard. The knuckles of the dark-skinned woman slammed into the bridge of his nose, propelling him backwards through the air.

Crashing into the roof of another building, his body shattered the tiles as he entered into a roll. Swinging himself up onto his feet, Onmar shook his head once.

By then Yoruichi was already inside his range.

One punch caught him in the stomach; an uppercut from her left. Following on, Yoruichi's right elbow slammed downwards into his collarbone, throwing Onmar off-balance. Then her left shin, smashing into the side of his face. Then her right. Another punch from her left hand to his face, and another from her right hand. Left. Right. Left. Right.

The palm of her left hand thrust up into his nose, shocking his head backwards with the force. One final straight right to his sternum blew Onmar back, over the top of a number of buildings.

As he flew, both of his arms raised, seemingly automatically. A hail of bullets swarmed through the air towards Yoruichi.

Dipping and diving, she weaved in between the Heilig Pfeil and continued on her assault.

As more and more of her attacks started to land, Onmar realised what was going on.

_She's not actually reacting to my movements._ The thought came to him, like some kind of brilliant epiphany, just as she punched him in the face for the sixth time. _She's fast, yes, but I should still outclass her in terms of speed. And yet she's landing all of these hits. The only logical conclusion is... She's not following my movements. Not all of them, anyway. She watches for twitches and ticks and then predicts what I'm going to do next. Where I'm going to be. It's like an elaborate guessing game. Any less experienced fighter wouldn't be able to fight like this... But it's because of who she is that she can. It's muscle memory. Instincts forged through countless battles._

Onmar sighed once, just as Yoruichi cracked her elbow into the side of his jaw.

_What a monster. She's like... Some kind of goddess of the battlefield._

Roaring out a harsh shout, Yoruichi planed both of her palms into Onmar's gut, launching him into the distance.

All of a sudden, the Shunko adorning her back blazed brighter than ever. Orbs of electricity formed behind her body, pulsating with power, as Yoruichi whirled her hands around in a circular motion. Bolts of electricity flickered around her eyes. Static crackled from her hair, licking up two locks, into the shape of cat-like ears.

"Shunko!" she screamed. "Raijin Senkei!"

An enormous thunderclap rocked the area. White lightning descended down from the sky in a humongous bolt, completely eclipsing Onmar's form. All around, buildings crumbled and cracked. Wreckage ripped through the Wahrwelt in a tsunami of destruction. The ground immediately beneath the attack was scorched black and a thick dust cloud was whipped up, obscuring Onmar from view.

Back at the original site of the battle, Ichigo and Chad rose unsteadily to their feet.

"Yoruichi-San!" Ichigo called after her. "What happened?!"

"His abilities have something to do with the area around him!" Yoruichi shouted back at him. "Whatever is caught within his range seems to be affected by extreme levels of gravity! You two stay back! I may have forced him out of range of you two, but I'm still feeling the effects! He's clearly not dead yet!"

"So then what do you want us to do?!" the orange-haired youth called out.

"Find Ganju and Inoue and make for the Palace," she replied. "His range seems to be about thirty metres, so I'll hold him back. You all go and kill Yhwach!"

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me," she laughed. "It'll take more than this to slow me down. I'll make sure he's good and dead before I catch you up."

"Is that right?" suddenly called a voice, from inside the wreckage, extending out behind Yoruichi.

Onmar appeared out of the smoke, dusty and scratched, but otherwise unharmed. His white turtleneck was torn in several places, revealing glimpses of a chiseled muscular torso. As he came to a stop, a brief flash of purple appeared through one of the holes in his clothes, before disappearing as quickly as it came.

"Man, that was something," he said, half impressed, but at the same time half apathetic. He seemed more annoyed than anything else. "I haven't been shocked like that since that time Sylvanus' hit me with Jupiter's Might."

"I take it this is what the Quincy call Blut Vene?" Yoruichi asked, masking her unease with a grin. Despite her ability to move, the increased gravity was playing havoc with her muscles, straining them to their limits.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I can't use Blut Vene," Onmar replied. "Honestly I'm pretty lousy when it comes to Quincy abilities. Blut, Hirenkyaku... They're not exactly my forté. This speed, strength, durability of mine... It's all my own. Sorry. No cheat codes here."

Yoruichi let out a strained breath. "You really are a monster."

"Look who's talking," Onmar replied, stoically. "You're able to keep up with me, at this speed, while under such crazy gravity. Not even Syl was able to do that."

Breaking into a sarcastic smile, Yoruichi prepped herself again for combat. "Well I aim to please."

"But you've made two mistakes," the Schutzstaffel continued, lifting his fingers. "One: You're mistakenly assuming that this is as fast as I can move. And two: You're thinking that increasing gravity is all I can do."

The purple flash of colour appeared again as the wind caught his uniform. As it came into view, it almost seemed to glow.

"I really don't feel like getting into anymore fights today," he said, flexing his fingers and raising one of his feet slightly off of the floor. "I've had enough of war. There are already too many sad memories; I don't want to drag this out and make more. So, if it's all the same to you, I'm going to deal with you fast and then take care of Kurosaki. Now... Let's try this again."

Onmar brought his foot down, with a dull clack.

"G-0."

* * *

Shinji Hirako locked eyes with Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path), through the blasts of fire that were being launched by Isshin Kurosaki. Beneath the lopsided cut of his blonde fringe, his expression hardened; the buck teeth that typically characterised him vanishing behind his tightly clasped lips.

"Bankai... Sakkaku Sekai Sakanade."

Whirling around the joint of his right arm, the silver metal of the blade caught the light of the moon and glittered brightly. Around and around it went, the outline blurring more and more. Fainter and fainter the afterimage of the sword became, until it appeared to have vanished. Or rather, it had vanished.

Haans swatted aside the latest torrent of fire and jumped back.

"What?" the crazed Schutzstaffel grunted, lifting one eyebrow and opening one of his bright blue eyes wide. "Ban what? BanKAI? Is that what that was? Bankai? What a fucking disappointment! The blade is gone! You honestly think that you'll be able to kill me with- WHAAAAT THE FUCK?!"

Everything was wrong.

To start with: The sun was shining on the sea; shining with all its might. It did its very best to make the billows smooth and bright. And this was odd, because it was the middle of the night.

Then there was the ground. It snaked around him, thousands of paths winding in ribbon patterns, looping and spiralling and knotting; sand waterfalling constantly over the edges into a vacant maw. In the distance, they continued to grow smaller and smaller until eventually disappearing.

Above Haans' head, birds flitted through the air. At least, what he initially assumed were birds. Upon closer inspection, he realised exactly what they were. Round and plump, their backs were adorned with wings. They were tiny, winged-

"PIGGIES!?" Haans cried, a mixture of confusion and glee rippling through his voice.

**"How do you like the Sakkaku Sekai?"** a disembodied voice burbled, echoing through the area.

"Captain Five?" Haans laughed, whipping his head around frantically. "Is that you?" He laughed again. "Is this another one of your freaky tricks? Come on! Where are yoooou?" Cooing playfully, he took a step onto one of the numerous winding sand-covered pathways.

"WHOA!"

Almost immediately, the structure caved beneath him, flinging Haans into the empty void below. Reaching up with one hand, he grabbed hold of the edge of the platform upon which he had originally stood. A wet feeling washed around his fingers as the waves foamed against his hand.

**"Things like that happen quite often in here,"** Shinji's voice continued. **"In fact, considering that this is you, I'm expecting it to happen a lot more. What with that scattered and fractured mind of yours."**

"Stop hiding and fight me like a man!" Haans shouted, past a broad grin. Flinging himself upwards, he landed back on his starting platform and started to randomly blast arrows. "Come out come out, wherever you are! Ollie ollie oxen-bitch!"

"Is this what you wanted?"

Shinji appeared, stood next to Haans on the platform. His form appeared translucent and faded.

Haans immediately took a swing at him.

Shinji vanished.

The Quincy's fist passed through the empty air, whipping up a small air current from the excessive force behind it.

The Shinigami Captain reappeared several metres away, down the length of one of the winding paths.

"Sorry," he said, cocking his head to the side. "This isn't going to be as easy as ripping me apart. You're going to need to think to get out of this one. Or maybe not think. What do you think?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" the Sternritter asked, scrunching his brows together. The scar running down the left hand side of his face distorted.

"Think of it like a game," Shinji said, spreading his hands out to his sides and smiling. "Pick a path, any path. You make your way to the end of the puzzle and you escape my Bankai. However... If you die in here, you very much die in the real world."

Haans bared his teeth. "You cowardly son of a bitch."

"Call me whatever you want." The Captain vanished, reappearing again behind the Quincy, in the froth of the waves. "You're not getting out of this any time soon."

"What about if I kill you?!"

An enormous blue arrow flashed towards the Shinigami, ripping through the water and parting the waves. Again, Shinji disappeared.

**"I thought I told you already,"** his disembodied voice said. **"It's not going to be that easy. Also... I think I should probably mention: This isn't something that can be broken out of that easily. Not unless you follow the rules."**

"And why's that?" Haans scoffed, repeatedly turning in a futile attempt to locate the Shinigami.

**"Simple... Because this isn't some kind of parallel dimension, or alternate universe. It's not nearly as sci-fi as that. No. This, here. Everything around us. This is all happening inside your own mind."**

* * *

Outside of Haans' mental world, the Sternritter was completely obscured by a cloud of midnight blue smoke. Whirling around him, in a compact cocoon, the gas was entirely sealed around the man. Outside the range of the blue haze, numerous flat mirrors of different sizes hovered midair, circling the smoke. Glowing off of said mirrors were images of the blonde Quincy, attempting to navigate the numerous sand-laced pathways.

Shinji flipped his eyelids open and stood up straight. "He'll be stuck in there for a while," he said. "Best case scenario, he dies trying to escape."

"You don't sound so sure," Isshin said, sheathing his Zanpakuto and narrowing his eyes.

"This enemy is... Unpredictable, to say the least..." The Vizard breathed out slowly and kept his eyes on the mirrors. "Not to mention, he's trapped inside his own mind. God know what's in there... Plus... This Bankai burns up my Reiatsu fast, and I can't stray too far from it. I'll give it half an hour at most."

"Something tells me you want me to stick around, though," Isshin implied, looking down at the Shinigami Captain.

"I can't completely control the Sakkaku Sekai," Shinji explained. "I can't change too much inside the illusion, and I can't force an instant-death situation. That makes things difficult. I need to figure out when to project my avatar in to throw him off. However... If my avatar is damaged in any way, it breaks the hold the Bankai has on him. Plus, doing so drains me. I need you here to take care of him in case he manages to get out."

"That's an awful lot of weaknesses," the senior Kurosaki said. "I can see why you don't like using it. It's powerful, yeah, but it's risky to use if you don't have someone backing you up."

"Exactly."

Sitting down, cross-legged on the ground, Isshin leaned back and exhaled slowly. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head up towards the sky. "I've gotta say, though... I'm glad for the break. It gives me a good amount of time to stabilise my Reiatsu. We're lucky that there weren't two of them."

"Yeah, I ag-" As Shinji looked down, to reply to Isshin, he noticed something. It was the form of a man, etched onto the ground. In a raised hand, he held a long and thin knife. "Kurosaki!"

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) flexed three fingers on his free hand. "San."

* * *

_**[A/N: An absolutely HUGE thank you to PrinceAladdin2 for his help designing Shinji's Bankai. All credit where it is due, I couldn't have written this chapter without him. I'm overjoyed with how it turned out, and I hope all of you readers like it too!]**_


	80. I Gave You Blood

**Chapter 79: I Gave You Blood**

Nelliel Tu Odelschvank felt her legs give out beneath her. Her knees slamming into the floor, she sprawled forwards and stared up at Nina Redwing (The Blood), through hazy unfocused eyes.

A dull ache throbbed through the Arrancar's head, racing across her scalp and burrowing into her brain. She felt dizzy and disoriented, her mind growing vacant. For a brief second she didn't even know where she was, or why she was there. Confusion addled her.

The skin of her face and hands started to turn red. As she moved to examine her palms, Nel realised that her joints were seizing up.

A churning sickness filled her stomach, just as her skin started to tingle and itch.

"Polycythaemia," Nina stated, as blood began to drip from the green-haired woman's nose. "An over abundance of red blood cells in the body. Symptoms include dizziness, aching joints, headaches and even high blood pressure."

Grimmjow rushed towards her, lifting his blade and taking a swipe down at Nina. As she lifted her right forearm to block, the blade grated across the translucent red sheen that clung to her outline.

Jumping back, Nina attempted to put some distance between herself and the Arrancar.

"You can wait there while I deal with your friend," Nina said, dismissively to Nel, as she whipped her hands around, to block Grimmjow's repeated attacks.

"Deal with me, huh?!" Grimmjow scoffed, dipping around as he slashed at the Quincy woman. "Don't underestimate me, you dumb bitch!"

Sidestepping around Grimmjow, the redhead lifted her chakram and slashed him up the length of his right arm. Again, his Hierro prevented it from breaking the skin.

_Damn..._ Nina thought, jumping back out of the former Espada's range. _His skin is tougher than hers... And it just about took all of the strength I have to break through the woman's. I could use that, but... It means dissolving my blood armour. And I don't want to do that just yet. Fighting Arrancars is dangerous; any wound they deal to me could cause Hollow Poisoning._ Her eyes quickly flicked towards Nel as she dodged another slash from Grimmjow. _At least I've taken her out of the fight. I can't alter her blood while he's distracting me like this, but with a case of polycythaemia that bad, she'd be lucky to even stand._

Grimmjow charged her from the front again, lifting his Zanpakuto over his head for a downward slash.

Lifting her head, to observe the trajectory, Nina took a single step back and readied herself to deflect the attack. All of a sudden, however, her foot slipped. Thrown off-balance by the trip, the Sternritter fell backwards and landed on her back in a puddle of slimy liquid.

The cold bite of metal pierced Nina's skin for the first time in the entire of the war, as the former Espada's blade sank into her shoulder. Ripping down into her collarbone, it lodged in place just as Grimmjow stomped down on her chest, to pin her.

"Haha!" suddenly called out a cheerful and energetic voice. "Take that you fiend! How do you like my ultimate technique? The super special and totally cool Infinite Slick!"

A tall and skinny individual, with purple skin, stepped up onto the lip of a large chunk of rubble. A pure white mask, in the shape of some kind of insect, covered his face, and wrapped around his waist was a flimsy loincloth. He pointed a single finger down at the Sternritter, currently pinned beneath Grimmjow's foot and held in place by his sword.

Nina broke into a dumbfounded expression of utter confusion. Joining her, Grimmjow mimicked the face.

"P-Pesche...?" Nel gasped, staring over at her friend, through blurred vision.

"That's what you get for invading my home and messing everything up!" he cried, placing one finger against his forehead and staring pointedly up at the night sky. "Man, I'm glad I followed Nel-Sama through that weird gate thing... Without me here, our side really would have been in a pinch. Good thing I decided to hang back! I mean, it's not like I was scared of everything and was hiding the whole time... But that's besides the point! You hurt Nel-Sama, and for that you're going to pay! Cower in fear before my pow-!"

Pesche suddenly shrieked in fear as a bright white arrow shot through the air towards him and narrowly missed his head.

Nina had used the distraction to her advantage, gripping Grimmjow around the wrist and throwing him off of her, before launching an attack at the strange individual. "I don't know who you are or where you came from, but that was a mistake," she said, adjusting her aim so that it was trained directly on the Arrancar's head. "You would have been better off just hiding."

"D-d-d-d-don't be ridiculous!" Pesche stammered, blustering as he started to tremble and sweat. "As if I'd just run and hide! (Even though that's totally what I've been doing this entire time...)" He flailed his hands about suddenly, and again started to point at the red-haired girl. "And anyway! If we're talking about mistakes, what about you?! I mean look at your uniform! It's all dirty and covered in blood! I thought Quincy were supposed to take pride in their whites! That's just sloppy if you ask me."

At the mention of her uniform, Nina's eye twitched slightly.

Just as she was about to shoot at the odd individual again, she was interrupted as Grimmjow threw himself at her back. "Don't take your eyes off me!"

Spinning on the ball of her foot, Nina dispersed her bow, morphing the reishi into the hexagonal shape of her chakram. Knocking aside the Arrancar's blade, she flinched in pain. Fire bloomed inside her shoulder, seizing her muscles up with a sharp jolt.

An itching tingle coursed across her flesh, flushing her skin pink. Around the wound, Nina's skin began to sizzle and bubble as Hollow Poisoning started to take effect.

Grimmjow managed to force her back.

Distracted by the pain ripping down her arm, Nina lost the strength in her legs. Without the firm anchor of her locked muscles to hold her in place, her feet skidded backwards across the shattered white cobbles of the street. Trenches were gouged out of the stone by the heels of Nina's black combat boots.

"Yeah! Go! Go! Go! Go number six!" Pesche shouted, hooting as he pumped a single fist into the air.

Turning his head away from the girl, as me moved forwards, Grimmjow snapped at the Arrancar. "Will you just shut up!"

As the former Espada was distracted, Nina seized her chance to back off. Tilting her weapon to the side, she dipped to her right and dashed to the side. Scanning the ground as she moved, she spotted a viscous green liquid coating the floor, and promptly leapt over it.

Growling in frustration, Grimmjow gave chase. He failed, however, to mimic Nina in her observation of the surroundings. His claw-decorated boots skidded through the slick slime of Pesche's secretion.

Falling face first into the floor, he lost sight of the Sternritter and swore loudly.

Landing on the roof of an overlooking building, Nina straightened up and tensed her muscles. Joints locking, she flinched again as another sharp burst of pain from the poison coursed through her system.

_Jesus..._ she thought. _I never thought Hollow Poisoning could hurt this bad. Not to mention, the force of that attack. He smashed clean through by Blood Armour with nothing but his physical strength. I'm going to need to make it denser. Magnetise the haemoglobin so that the cells link together and bond. But first..._

Her eyes settled on the deep incision on her left shoulder. She could see bone through the lacerated flesh. Grimmjow had almost completely sliced her collarbone in half. And around the wound, the skin was sizzling violently.

_I need to heal this. Damn... It seriously drains my Reiatsu to do, but I guess I've got no other choice. It'd be bad for me if this were to spread._

The veins beneath all of Nina's exposed skin suddenly started to glow bright blue.

Nel, from her position laying prostrate on the ground, peered through blurred vision, and squinted eyes, up at the Quincy girl. "Blut... Vene...?"

The blood vessels, however, continued to glow brighter and brighter. So bright in fact that they eventually tuned white. It almost looked like her skin was cracking and Nina was about to explode into a blaze of light.

_Blut Vene: Rejuvenation, _Nina thought to herself. _A new variation of Blut that I developed, using my powers to alter the properties of Blut Vene. It heals all wounds, at the expense of a fraction of my Reiatsu. If it were any of the others, they would have told them all about it; lorded it over their enemies. Mistake. You let on in any way that a technique is special and your opponents assume that there are limits. Best to keep them guessing. Now... My armour._

A flash of purple caught her attention.

Leaping into the air above her, Pesche lifted one hand dramatically before shoving it beneath his loincloth.

Nina's expression stuck in a mixture of confusion, stunned horror, and disgust. She literally had no response for what was occurring.

He fell upon her with an overly dramatic cry, whipping out what she dearly hoped was a sword. The blade, glowing bright white, buzzed through the air and slammed into the red sheen of the blood armour coating Nina's right forearm. Suddenly, it sliced through the defence and jammed into her flesh, locking as it hit bone.

"What?!" she instinctively blurted out. "A Seeleschneider? How?!"

"Aha!" Pesche cried. "I can see why you would think it similar to Uryu-Chan's thing! However my thing is far longer and more powerful than his thing!"

Again, Nina was stunned into a stupor. "... You're still talking about a sword right?"

"Ah! Mind out of gutter!" Pesche exclaimed, incredulous. "Of course I a-!"

So preoccupied was he in screaming, the Fraccion didn't notice the shin of Nina's left leg rearing up and striking out at him. As the attack slammed into the side of his face, he was flung off of his feet, ploughing through a building before passing out in a pile of rubble.

Turning towards the path of destruction, the female Quincy prepared to give chase and finish off the Arrancar once and for all.

All of a sudden, a resounding crack split the air. Nina's entire body shocked forwards, as she stumbled ever so slightly. Smoke sizzled off of her back. While the attack hadn't managed to penetrate her blood armour, the force behind it was enough to catch her off guard.

Grimmjow's raised fist flickered with faint bolts of red spiritual energy.

_A cero?_ Nina thought, her brain reeling. _No, it was much too fast for that. And nowhere near as strong as the ones that he fired before. So then it must have been... A Bala._

Pulling back his other fist, he broke into a grin before rapidly launching a blazing barrage of bright red projectiles.

Diving out of the path of the attacks, Nina crashed through the window of a nearby building and took cover in the dark recesses of the inner rooms. Delving deeper into the maze of the enormous structures, she moved in an erratic fashion, to confuse the former Espada's senses, all the while slowly suppressing her Reiatsu, until it was almost at zero.

Glancing down at her wounded forearm, as she moved, she began to analyse the situation.

_Okay... So that beetle-looking guy should be out of the fight for now. He may have gotten in a few lucky shots, but now that I know what he can do, I'm confident that I can defend against it. That last cut wasn't anything substantial, but I'm still at risk of the poisoning, so..._

Forming a short knife from reishi, Nina rolled up her sleeve and proceeded to cut away the infected flesh around her wound. When she was done, she utilised her Schirft to increase the platelet count near the area of the wound, and speed up clotting and healing. She didn't want to have to use Blut Vene: Rejuvenation on a wound as small as this.

_The real problem,_ she thought, _is the one with blue hair. He may be all that's left, but now he knows that he can smash my armour with his sword, he'll almost definitely concentrate on that. Not to mention, he hasn't used his Resurreccion yet._

* * *

As if on cue, Grimmjow flipped his sword around his left hand, into an inverted position.

He didn't want to give her time to use her Vollständig. The red-haired girl was dangerous enough as it was; he didn't need her getting another insane boost in power.

_Her powers have something to do with blood,_ he thought, as he bent his fingers and locked them in a claw-like position over the blade of his sword. _So if she so much as nicks me, I'm done for. I need to kill her. Fast._

"Grind!"

His hand blurred as his nails grated across the metal of his Zanpakuto. A bright blue burst of energy flared behind him.

"Pantera!"

A shockwave of Reiatsu blasted out of his body, whipping up the snow into an obscuring storm. White dwarfed his form, shielding his transforming body from view.

As the release completed, a deafening roar ripped out through the buildings of the Wahrwelt. The accompanying blast wave crashed into the closest few buildings, reducing them to rubble as the snow was blown away.

* * *

Nina's head jerked around as she heard the scream.

_His Resurreccion? Already?_ Her thoughts reeled out, whirling into overdrive as she attempted to compose herself. _Change of plans. Think fast Nina. Make a decision. Armour or spear? You can only use one, so choose carefully. What do I know about his release, from the Daten? No weapons. Focussed on close combat. So he's a barehanded fighter. Which means it boosts his speed and strength. Bad for the way I was fighting before. He'd break through my armour like it was nothing. So, spear it is... I can hold him off outside of his range. And with the boost it gives my attacks, I may even break through his Hierro._

Thrusting out her left arm to her side, Nina splayed her fingers. The red sheen that covered her body began to ripple before collecting and flowing towards her palm. As this occurred, the chakram clasped in her other hand dissolved into reishi. The glowing white bulbs of spiritual particles moved through the air, mixing with the deep red liquid before morphing in shape and extending out. Nina's fingers wound around the shaft of her new weapon. She was now holding what appeared to be a long, red polearm-like spear.

"Bloodform Change: Assault."

She could hear Grimmjow coming. Smashing through buildings as he attempted to locate her. And...

_Based on the diminished volume, as well as the echoes, he should come at me from right around... There!_

Spinning on the spot, Nina slashed out with her new weapon. Several walls between her and Grimmjow were completely sliced in half, and the roof of the building was blown off by the force.

The attack caught the former Espada across the chest; bright sparks flickering off of the surface of his Hierro as he was knocked back by the force. Feline-like feet dragging against the ground, he attempted to regain his footing, before lunging back towards the red-haired girl. Behind him, his long curtain of light blue hair flailed up.

Five clawed black digits tensed as he readied himself to slash at the girl.

Continuing her spinning motion, Nina made a complete turn, loosening her grip on the spear so that it slipped between her fingers until she clasped the base. Her range increased, she finished the rotation and took another swipe at the Arrancar.

As Grimmjow ducked to dodge the attack, Nina dug her feet into the ground and reversed her swing. Again Grimmjow dodged.

Clasping her second hand around the foremost end of the spear, she made several sharp jabbing motions towards the Arrancar, forcing him to back off slightly.

Her speed had leapt astoundingly. Nina's skill with the weapon was evident; her movements quick and precise. Grimmjow was easily outclassed in terms of speed. He was thankful for the fact that his Hierro was strengthened by his release, otherwise he would have been dead long ago. She was so fast that he couldn't dodge the attacks.

_And the increase in her strength..._

Grimmjow considered himself extremely lucky.

Nina was purposely aiming for a number of different points. Weakening his overall defence, preparing for one final strike to break through his iron skin.

_But..._ he thought. _She's focussing on attacking. That weird glow that was around her is gone... Which means she's open for an attack._

Nina quickly withdrew her spear for another attack.

_Now!_

Suddenly stopping his assault, his paws caved the concrete and he jumped back. As he moved, he clenched his right fist, the claws on his hand puncturing the flesh of his palm.

In a lightning fast flash of black and white, his hand was raised. Blood seeped out of his wound into the open air, sparking and curdling with electrical zaps of power. Royal blue energy rapidly balled between his fingers.

Nina's dark chocolate eyes snapped open wide.

"Gran Rey Cero!"

An enormous blast of bright blue spiritual energy burned through the air, illuminating the darkened buildings of the Wahrwelt. Snow melted and evaporated in its wake as the cero screamed towards Nina.

Hurriedly sidestepping, the crimson-haired Quincy narrowly avoided the shot and-

Was hit by an enormous blast from behind. Violet energy erupted skyward, clearing the clouds, and shockwaves of power shook the very foundations of the floating castle. Nina's scream of pain and shock was drowned out by the thunder clap of the attack. Smoke filled the area.

Nelliel Tu Odelschvank stood on unsteady legs, breathing heavily. Around her open mouth, sparks of blue and purple energy crackled through the air. A deep incision had been made on her neck, blood flowing down her collarbone and soaking her outfit.

Beside her, Pesche gripped his sword, the edge of the blade coated in a film of scarlet blood.

"Thanks..." Nel took a deep breath and grimaced. "For the distraction... And for the... The cero..."

Through the smoke, Grimmjow merely pulled an annoyed expression. Tutting, he pulled his lip up off of his teeth and turned away.

Nel collapsed to her knees and continued to breathe heavily. She had been lucky that swallowing the Gran Rey Cero hadn't killed her; she was already in bad condition. Plus, if Pesche hadn't pretended to faint to that he could drain the blood from her wound, she would have been done for.

As her friend knelt down next to her and started to tend to her wounds, she let out a sigh of relief.

She could no longer sense the Quincy's Reiatsu.

Nel was lucky to have survived. Chance had completely turned itself in her favour. Had Grimmjow and Pesche not both been present, they wouldn't have been able to defeat the Sternritter.

Swallowing a breath, she broke into a slight smile and looked up at the mountain of a fortress ahead. Nel hoped against hope that she would be able to recover soon enough to head there and help Ichigo. A pleasant feeling of expectance plucked at her chest.

The feeling, however, was short lived.

A massive shot of light erupted out of the smoke and streaked skyward, splitting into the shape of a five-pointed star.

* * *

"Cassiel; She Who Watches."

* * *

**_[A/N: This chapter was quite comedy-based, despite still being in the middle of a tense battle, which is something that I haven't done in quite a while, so I hope you all enjoyed it!_**

**_I'd also like to take this opportunity to promote something else, related to Thousand Year Blood War. The creator of the character Gabriele (The Vampire) has written their own story! A lot more information about her past is revealed, while the remainder of it is more comedy based, and in an Omake style. There's even an appearance by the Karakura-Raizer! So if you feel so inclined, please check that out!]_**


	81. The Madness

**Chapter 80: The Madness**

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) moved slowly about the inside of the Wahrwelt. Around its body, the white robes that covered the creature fluttered and billowed, allowing the lapping sound of fabric to hang in the air. Smooth skin, like white porcelain, shone through the night, reflecting the glow thrown out by the surrounding walls.

The scent of incense hung about the atmosphere, swimming through the obstacles and coating everything with a heavy film of smoke. The calming smell wafted around Beraht's nostrils, moving softly as its steady breathing disturbed the path of the clouds.

At the ethereal creature's back, following closely behind, was Uryu Ishida.

"It is peculiar..." the white being suddenly uttered. "That even after your forced conscription... While His Majesty sleeps... Still you do not attempt a betrayal. Why is that?"

"Do you really have to ask that?" Uryu questioned. "There is no way to defeat His Majesty. Why would I jeopardise my life in an attempt to kill someone that cannot be killed?"

"Hmm..." Beraht mused, tilting its head upwards, yet keeping its eyes closed. "Cannot be killed? I'm not quite sure that I agree with that... Everything, eventually, must come to an end."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were encouraging me to assassinate him," the teenage boy replied. Tilting his head, white light glared across his glasses, obscuring his eyes from view.

"I am encouraging you to pursue what you believe to be the best course of action." It turned around and opened its eyes, revealing six luminous crimson irises. "For I have already seen every possible outcome, with these eyes of His Majesty. Fate, Uryu Ishida, is inescapable."

"So what is my fate?" Uryu asked, taking a step forwards. "If you've seen it, then why not tell me."

"Because I want you to make the choices on your own, not because my words have influenced your thoughts."

"Why do you care?" the young man questioned, knitting his thin brows together. "Why does it matter if you've influenced what I think, if it's going to happen, regardless of what I do?"

"With our thoughts we make the World," Beraht replied. "Look around you at what His Majesty has created, with a mere thought." As the vacant being spoke, it swept a hand around, indicating the Wahrwelt, through the window beside him. "Imagine what He could create, once He awakens. Such is the power of thoughts."

Uryu tucked in his bottom lip and glanced out of the window, down upon the white landscape. A calculating light shone out from behind his eyes.

"However," Beraht said, interjecting his thoughts. "Should you choose to try and kill His Majesty, understand this: It is my duty to protect him; to ensure the survival of the Universe."

An uncomfortable feeling churned up in the pit of Uryu's stomach. Even in spite of the calming effects of Beraht's Reiatsu, he was unnerved. The peculiar individual confused him; its motivations a complete mystery. Never before had Uryu been completely and utterly incapable of reading somebody.

"What..." Uryu hesitated for a brief second. "What are your goals? What do you gain out of all of this madness?"

Beraht turned away from him. "You shall find out soon enough."

* * *

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) turned down the path forking off to his left. He couldn't even remember how long he had been trapped inside his own mind. The sand-dripping pathways were long behind him, and he was now deep inside a labyrinth of tunnels.

The further he delved into the intersecting honeycomb, the stranger the surroundings became. Odd images raced across the walls of the cave, filling his vision in colourful flashes. Cockroaches crawled over mangled bodies; balls of cotten candy danced around in puddles of caramel; snakes slithered through skulls; a man in a top hat wandered into a room, strewn with posters saying "silly hats only"; chickens had their heads lopped off by meat cleavers. At one point, he could have sworn he saw a lizard, walking on its hind legs, carrying a ladder.

As Haans took a step forwards, a dull click echoed down the tunnel. Slamming into place behind him, a wall manifested from thin air, sealing him off from the path behind him.

"I'm getting reeeeal tired of this bullshit!" Haans shouted out, calling into the depths of the labyrinth.

Upon receiving no response, he began to tear through the cavern, screaming in frustration. Reverberations of his Reiatsu echoed through the space, before rebounding and slamming back into him.

Faster and faster he ran, the soles of his boots crashing into the ground. Beneath Haans' feet, the rock blurred as he passed, eventually morphing into the form of a narrow rainbow. All about him, the cave vanished, only to be replaced by an endless expanse of black.

Still not slowing his pace, even in spite of the sudden change in surroundings, a prominent vein bulged from the side of the Shutzstaffel's head.

He was growing tired. Fatigued. And it was infuriating him all the more.

The Bankai was troublesome; difficult.

Thinking had never been one of Haans' strong suits. The fact that his escape relied on it was dropping him like a stone into a deep well of rage.

More frustrating was the fact that the blonde Captain hadn't appeared, since the Bankai's initial activation. Haans was confident that, if he could somehow catch him and kill him, he would be able to escape.

A flash assaulted his vision. Images of mangled bodies perforated the blackness, before vanishing as quickly as they came.

Suddenly coming to a stop, Haans anchored his feet. Realisation flickered across his face.

White came into view between his goatee as he broke into a wide smile.

He finally realised just what he needed to do to escape.

* * *

Darkness swallowed the building.

Nothing, not even the vaguest flicker of light, managed to escape the black maw of the orb. A chilling, cold black fell upon the scene.

But this was different from the night that currently sat on the Wahrwelt. Not a single star, not even the tiniest glint of light, was visible.

Clarimond Amsel (The Twilight) started to hysterically laugh. Because, in spite of the darkness, despite the suffocating black settling onto the surroundings... She could see.

As clear as if it were the day.

A distance away from her, Ryuken Ishida stood staring about himself. Even the light thrown by his Heilig Bogen was being absorbed by the negative photons that Clarimond had scattered about the area. He looked confused; unsure of exactly what was happening.

Grinning to herself, Clarimond lifted her reishi crossbow and took aim at her enemy.

The pitch black had descended so suddenly that it would take him a while to adjust. To get his senses back in order.

_And by then,_ she thought. _He'll be long dead._

Without another second's hesitation, she loosed the bolt towards him-

Just as an arrow slammed into her forehead. Her remaining purple eye opening wide, it twitched upwards, attempting to place the white shaft of the Heilig Pfeil planted in her skull.

Ryuken had fired his own arrow out in retaliation, splitting Clarimond's crossbow bolt and penetrating her head in a single precise shot.

Light returned to the building.

Ryuken's eyes flicked sideways, pinpointing Clarimond's form just as she collapsed to the floor; finally dead.

"Your mistake was in assuming that I rely solely on my eyes," he muttered, addressing her corpse. "I've never exactly had good vision; I've worn glasses for almost all of my life. The reason that I'm such an effective archer is because of my Reikaku." He tutted once and turned away from the body, as if he were repulsed by it. "It's one of the basics of being a Quincy."

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he exited the building, though a gap between the marble pillars. In the distance, he watched a single shot of white light scream into the air, as Nina Redwing (The Blood) activated her Vollständig.

"I guess you really didn't know anything about my son," Ryuken muttered, speaking over his shoulder. "What a shame." He paused to look up at the enormous fortress inhabiting the centre of the Royal Palace. "It appears that I'm going to have to find him myself..."

* * *

Isshin Kurosaki screamed as the blade plunged into his back.

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) maintained the stoic expression on his face and twisted the knife. Bone cracked around the reishi structure, blood pouring from the wound and staining the tattered Haori hung from the former Captain's shoulder.

Lurching forwards, Isshin grabbed at the hilt of his sword and spun around, attempting a counterattack on the Sternritter.

Spurred on by Hirenkyaku, the Quincy was far more nimble than he had anticipated, darting quickly out of range before collapsing back into the second dimension.

Hissing between his bloodstained teeth, Isshin gripped the wound and started to scan the area for the man that had just stabbed him in the back.

"Where is he?" he grunted, urgently.

"Gone for now..." Shinji replied, his own eyes flickering over every surface. "We need to stay on guard, though. He seems geared towards stealth, so we can't afford to be complacent."

Gritting his teeth as a jolt of pain flinched through his body, Isshin wound his fingers tightly around the hilt of his Zanpakuto. "Please tell me that you can still fight, when your Bankai is active."

"I can use Kido," Shinji replied. "That's about it, though... My sword has vanished." He indicated the pillar of smoke, churning inside the elaborate prison of mirrors. "As long as that's active, it won't reform."

"Well Kido's no use," the older Kurosaki grunted. "Quincys can absorb it. So I guess..."

"You're pretty much on your own," Shinji completed.

"Fantastic... The least you can do is lend me your eyes. Cover my blind spots so that I know when he's coming."

"Already on it," the Vizard replied, turning about himself so that the duo were stood back-to-back.

"Thank God the stronger one is still detained," Isshin said, flicking his eyes about.

"In a perfect world, my Bankai would kill him."

"You think it can?"

"Do I think it can kill him?" Shinji asked. "Providing he doesn't somehow figure out how it works, and escape... Yes."

As if on cue, a pulse of Reiatsu shook the area. Hair whipping around his face, Shinji turned towards the manifestation of his Bankai. A crack split the corner of one of the numerous mirrors.

"What the...?"

Another throb of power rippled across the courtyard. Splinters of glass shot off of three of the mirrors, as if prompted by the force.

Reflected in the surface, Haans Lander had balled his fists at his sides and scrunched his face up tightly. His skin was quickly turning red, as veins bulged from his temples.

His mouth moved in an erratic fashion, as if he were shouting. Reading his lips, Shinji managed to make out some of the words:

**"Door! Gate! Exit!- Squirrel?-No! Concentrate! Door! Wooden, or metal? Doesn't matter! Door! Door! DOOR!"**

"Oh no..." Shinji whispered.

"What now?!" Isshin shouted pessimistically, over his shoulder.

"I think he knows how it works..."

"What do you mean he knows how it works? Are you telling me he's about to escape?! What the hell is he doing?!"

"He's trying to create an exit from the Bankai!"

Just as Shinji shouted back to the former Captain, a shot of reishi split the air, as Basilisk began to fire on them from a distance. A cut was opened along the side of Shinji's neck as he barely managed to dodge the arrow.

"You mean he can control it?!" Isshin asked, dodging a second arrow.

"Not exactly!" Shinji replied, weaving to the side. "It's his own mind he's trapped in, so his thoughts can influence it! Every thought he's ever had in his life assaults him in there, randomly!"

"Then how can he create an exit?"

"If he thinks about it enough, or enough variations of it, then it's possible that one of the randomly generated apparitions will be the door out!"

"And there's nothing you can do to stop it?!"

Isshin fumbled as, while he was shouting back at Shinji, the Dimensional Sternritter appeared in his face, blade raised. Stepping back, as he was slashed down his front, Isshin grimaced in pain.

While his comrade started to counterattack, the Vizard relayed his plan.

"I'm going to send my avatar back into the Bankai! I know you're injured but just try and hold this one off as long as you can! If the blonde guy escapes we're all as good as dead!"

"Fire exit! Signs! Wet cement! Man opening umbrella! -No! Shit!- Exit! Exit! DOOR!"

As the crazed individual continued on his sporadic chanting, Shinji appeared ahead of him, several yards down the rainbow road.

Attempting to draw his attention away from imagining ways out of the Bankai, he shouted across at the Sternritter, goading him to attack. "Hey! I heard you were looking for me! Well... Here I am! Come on, attack me!"

Haans broke into a grin and opened his eyes, focussing his bright blue orbs onto the form of the Captain. Multicoloured light glanced across the smooth surfaces of his teeth as he broke into a smile.

"Well..." he replied. "At first I was... But now? Now I'm looking for a way out. Wanna know why?"

Shinji didn't reply.

Haans took his silence as a cue to continue. "Because... Once I get out of here- and I swear to God and all that is holy that I will -I'm going to massacre all of you! Hear that? Every single last one!"

"What makes you so confident?"

The Schutzstaffel merely smirked. "Door."

Almost immediately, a brilliant white frame appeared midair between the two men. Kicking off from the road, Haans rocketed towards the structure, laughing like a lunatic.

Shinji raised a hand and screamed out in protest.

As he moved, Haans lifted one hand and gripped the metal links of the chains and belts, wound around his abdomen. Ripping the restraints off of his body, his cackle grew even louder and his eyes rolled back in his skull.

Outside of the Sakkaku Sekai, every single one of the mirrors exploded into millions of nasty shards. Light rocketed into the air.

Retreating back from his duel with Isshin, Basilisk felt himself shudder in fear.

Shinji, knocked from his feet by the recoil of his shattered Bankai, started to sweat.

The Reiatsu emanating from the pillar of light felt insurmountably, unequivocally, terrifying.

**"Rafael; Trumpet of God."**


	82. Zero Gravity

**Chapter 81: Zero Gravity**

Ichigo Kurosaki and Yasutora Sado ran side-by-side through the streets of the Wahrwelt. The impossibly dense reishi was playing havoc with their senses, and the massive clashes of power ripping through the landscape was only aggravating the situation. They were hopelessly lost, unable to even catch a flicker of Reiatsu from Orihime and Ganju.

"Damn it..." Ichigo breathed, coming to a stop and staring around at the surrounding buildings. "No sign of them anywhere..."

Walking up behind the orange-haired Shinigami, Chad placed a single hand on his shoulder. "Ichigo... We need to move on. We can't afford to linger here and wait for them."

Ichigo faltered for a second and swallowed a breath. Looking up at the looming sight of the Wahrwelt, he drank in the layout of the fortress. "You're right... We should get going. Hopefully... Hopefully they'll have the same thought as us, and we'll meet up with them inside."

"I know how you feel," Chad said, taking up residence beside his friend and looking down from his towering height. "But please, trust them. The train that they have gone through- that I've gone through- isn't just for show. They'll be fine. I'm sure of it. You just need to focus on what has to be done. And right now... You're needed inside that place."

Ichigo broke into a smile and looked up at Chad. "You know, that's probably the fourth time I've heard a speech like that, recently." He laughed softly. "But thank you. I think... I think I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I don't have to do everything on my own. That I can rely on everyone else, and not have to save them all the time."

Light suddenly flashed against his face as, across the chasm of open air between the bridge on which they stood and the next, the second column of white in as few as five minutes launched skyward.

"Things are really getting serious..." Chad said, solemnly. "It seems like the enemy are all resorting to their strongest techniques."

At the mention of the power of their enemies, the orange-haired teenager instinctively thought back to their previous adversary.

_"Out of all the Sternritter, I'm the strongest."_

As his large companion watched the light shatter, Ichigo stole a glance back in the direction from which they had come.

_Yoruichi-San..._ he thought. _Please be alright._

* * *

Yoruichi Shihoin felt her stomach lurch up into her chest. Her body began to tingle, her limbs filling with sensation. The soles of her feet left the floor, and within moments, she was floating midair. She felt weightless.

Through the tear in the body of his uniform, a flash of purple seared out from Onmar Gunther (The Gravity)'s abdomen.

"G-0."

Their surroundings, in a radius of thirty meters, all began to distort. Snow and rubble all began to float, swimming about the air like strange angular fish in an invisible ocean.

His eyes, catching the light of the moon, glowed a vicious green. "T-1."

Onmar vanished. He moved so fast that even Yoruichi, with her advanced reflexes and senses, only managed to catch a glimpse of him. Unable to gain traction against the ground, much less move in her weightless state, the former Stealth Corps Commander was left to the mercy of the Schutzstaffel's attack.

Slamming into her front, Onmar delivered a devastating punch to Yoruichi's face. Whipping his body sideways, his feet danced over the ground as he began to circle the woman, all the while continuing his assault with a flurry of punches. He moved like a whirlwind, all but invisible, save for his effects on the surroundings. As he danced about, patches of floating snow and debris were disturbed, while he kept Yoruichi fixed inside the epicentre of his attack.

Blood shot out into the air, from the numerous wounds opened on the Shinigami's body, before halting in place and floating like minute planets orbiting the supernova of Onmar's assault.

As Yoruichi was pummelled closer to unconsciousness, her head began to grow hazy. The lids of her eyes slowly began to close. Behind them, a familiar scene, an age past, started to play out.

* * *

_"Hey, Kisuke..." Yoruichi was sat in a tree, looking down at the teenage boy, laying sprawled beneath her._

_"Hmm?" Peering up, through lazily hooded eyes, Kisuke Urahara directed his attention towards the beautiful young girl._

_"Why are you always hanging around me?" she asked. "I mean... Don't you have better things to do? You don't have to come and see me just because you feel sorry for me."_

_"You think I feel sorry for you?" he muttered, mildly surprised. "That's not why I'm here at all... I visit you because I like visiting you. There's nothing more to it than that."_

_"But no one else comes to see me..." the dark-skinned girl pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "Other than you, I only ever meet people from the family. Or other aristocrats. And they're all so stuffy and boring..."_

_"Your point being?"_

_"My point being that I wish normal people didn't run away from me all the time."_

_"Are you saying that I'm not normal?" Kisuke asked, laughing in mock-offence._

_"That's not what you mean, and you know it," Yoruichi retorted. "I just get the feeling that... They're all scared of me."_

_"Why wouldn't they be? You're pretty intimidating."_

_"Thanks Kisuke... You really know how to make a girl feel special."_

_"Hey, I'm trying to be sincere here," he laughed. "Listen..." He rose from his laying position and sat up against the tree, never once breaking eye contact with the girl. "Being intimidating isn't a bad thing. Look at it this way: You're one of the youngest people ever to make it through the Academy, the youngest Head the Shihoin Family has ever had, the future leader of the Stealth Force, and quite possibly the most beautiful girl I've ever had the pleasure to know personally."_

_"Smooth," she laughed._

_"So are you intimidating?" Kisuke continued. "You bet you are. And does it scare some people off? Well, yes, but as far as I'm concerned it's their loss."_

_Yoruichi laughed. "Okay, I take it back. You do actually know how to make a girl feel special."_

_Standing, Kisuke gripped the branch over his head before scaling the side of the tree and sitting opposite Yoruichi. "They just don't try hard enough. They don't know that you're worth the effort. Besides... It means that I get you all to myself."_

_Leaning forwards, he brushed her lips briefly with the flat of his thumb and closed his eyes._

* * *

Snapping back to consciousness, Yoruichi felt Onmar's fist slam into her stomach. As she came to, everything was suddenly shocked into perspective.

The Quincy was strong. Inhumanly so. Probably the strongest opponent she had ever faced.

But that didn't mean that this was where it had to end.

Yet again, an image of Kisuke briefly passed across her vision.

_No. This isn't where I die!_ she thought. _I'm going back to him, alive! You don't get to take that away from me!_

Squinting her eyes past the blood, struggling to hold them open as her face was pummelled, Yoruichi picked a single solitary space ahead of her.

_Don't flinch!_ her brain screamed at her. _Don't let the pain throw you off! Eat it! Take it and watch! Don't aim at where he is, look for where he's going to be! You've only got one shot so you better make it count! Watch for it and time it! He's damn fast, but he's got to stick to a pattern! Every time he flashes past that spot, note it! Look for the pattern and when you're sure you've got it, hit him! Hit him harder than you've ever hit anyone in you're fucking life!_

A flicker of an afterimage appeared in her vision. Barely there for a fraction of a second, but still there nonetheless.

_There he is! Now watch! Wait for it!_

Over and over the blur passed in front of her eyes. Several times in a second; every time the outline of the Sternritter taking on a different pose as he launched attacks at her.

She felt her jaw break as his elbow cracked into the side of her chin. Still she didn't blink. Still she didn't take her eyes off of that one empty space.

Her body locked up as a blow slammed into her side, rupturing one of her kidneys. Biting her lip she fought back the urge to flinch. She wasn't going to let this chance escape her.

_I can see it..._ she thought. _The way he moves. His habits and his patterns. I can see all of it!_

"I've got you, you son of a bitch!" Yoruichi suddenly screamed, ignoring the horrible crunch that filled the air, as her broken jaw ground against itself.

_Oh, Kisuke,_ she thought. _Intimidating? If only you knew._

The lightning that adorned her back vanished. As her fist shot forwards, an enormous bolt of electricity blazed from the back of her forearm, exploding out into the open air and propelling the limb forwards even faster than before.

Onmar reappeared right where she was aiming. His vision was so tunneled by the speed at which he was moving, he didn't notice the attack until it was far too late.

Her fist carried so much force behind it that, as it connected with the Shutzstaffel's chest, her knuckles were shattered. A deafening crack ripped through the night, and Onmar was blown back with so much force that he cleared the chasm between the floating cities and landed on an entirely separate disk.

Freed from the effects of the Sternritter's G-0 ability, Yoruichi fell to the floor and hissed in pain. All around her, snow and rubble joined her descent, crashing back to the ground as gravity returned to normal.

Clasping her ruined right hand with her unharmed left, the purple-haired woman grimaced in pain.

Something wasn't right. When she had punched him, it was different from all the times she had hit him before. With her last attack, she had struck something incredibly hard. It definitely wasn't his ribcage, she knew how bone felt beneath her fist. It was something different.

Pain throbbed through her body as the beating caught up with her.

Her brief cry of pain reached Onmar, across the empty sky, in the neighbouring city. Laying in the wreckage of an annihilated building, his uniform was in tatters.

Grimacing in agony, he gingerly lifted one hand and touched his fingertips to the right side of his chest.

"God damn..." he choked out, convulsing slightly in pain. "She actually broke one of them..."

Gripping the fabric of his white turtleneck, Onmar ripped the shirt from his body, revealing his chiseled form. So defined were his muscles, it was almost as if he had been carved out of granite. A dark red bruise spread across the right hand side of his chest, from where the Shinigami woman had stuck him, and broken four of his ribs.

And set in the very centre of the wound, protruding from his flesh, a half-submerged sphere had been shattered. Translucent purple shards jutted out into the air, glinting in the moonlight.

Across his body, eight more of the orbs caught the light. Perfectly symmetrical in spacing, one was set into the curve of either shoulder, and the inside edge of either of his biceps. Another two were positioned along either side of his abdomen, as well as at the dead centre of either of his pectoral muscles (one of which was currently broken). The final orb took up residence in the middle of his torso, tucked between the third and fourth abdominal muscles.

_Damn..._ he thought, looking down at the broken purple sphere. _I'm down to eight... That means I can't use G-9 anymore. She's stronger than I thought. Smart too... She figured out how I move with T-1... One major drawback of moving at that speed is the tunnel vision. I can't react too well to incoming attacks. Not to mention I can't really stray from my patterns. I can only move in ways that I've practiced... That isn't going to work on her again._

Trembling as pain wracked his body, Onmar rose unsteadily to his feet.

_God damn monster..._

Now stood up straight, he began to massage the area around his shattered Gravity Node and grimaced. Goosebumps prickled up across his skin and his free hand began to tremble. Upon reopening his eyes, around the iris of his lime green right eye, the sclera was severely bloodshot.

"I've got to end this fast," he grunted. "She's the only one here able to keep up with me. I just want this day to end... I don't want to fight anymore. So..."

He summoned a pistol into his right hand, from the ambient reishi in the air. Slapping his left hand onto the side of the gun, he slowly formed a fist. Light blazed from the gun before shooting from both the top and bottom of the weapon, until it formed a shape vaguely reminiscent of a bow. Drawing his left fist back so that it was positioned beside his face, he straightened his right arm in front of him and took aim down the length of a wire-thin needle of reishi.

"Don't take this personally..." Onmar muttered, as he pulled the trigger.

Yoruichi heard the shot coming. The arrow was so thin and streamlined that, as it split the air around it, it emitted a slight but noticeable scream.

Lurching sideways, she narrowly avoided the projectile and glanced up-

Just in time to see Onmar appear in her face.

His naked torso rippled as all of his muscles moved in perfect synergy.

It was almost as if time had slowed. Yoruichi saw it coming, a side effect of the adrenaline coursing through her body, but was utterly powerless to stop it.

Leaning to the side, the Quincy elite raised his right leg and slammed his shin into her face.

Taken off her feet by the force, Yoruchi's head twisted into an odd angle. A sickening crack rolled out of her neck as two disks in her spine were crushed by the pressure. Slamming through a number of buildings, her head rolled to the side and hung limply.

Her eyelids flickered as light left her pupils.

Emitting a single strained breath, Onmar flexed his fingers and closed his eyes. "T-8."

The eight remaining orbs covering his body flashed brightly, while the single broken sphere sparked and crackled.

"Now..." he said, solemnly turning away from the ruins left by his last attack. "To find Kurosaki..."


	83. Dead Angels 2

**Chapter 82: Dead Angels 2**

_"I want you to be careful."_

_"Come on, Kisuke, when am I ever not-?"_

_"No," Kisuke Urahara interrupted, cutting Yoruichi off mid-sentence. "I'm being serious here."_

_Stood outside the replica Flower Crane Cannon, the pair conversed as, in the background, Ichigo and his companions planned their battle strategy from inside the black column._

_"This isn't like anything we've ever faced before," Kisuke continued, gazing into his companion's stunned eyes. "They're monstrously strong. All of them. I don't want you underestimating them. If something were to happen to you, then-"_

_Yoruichi clapped one hand against his shoulder and broke into a wide smile. "Don't go getting soft on me now," she grinned. "What happened to all the jokes, huh Kisuke?"_

_Returning the laugh, he flicked his eyes down towards the ground. "Hey, you can't blame a guy for worrying, can you."_

_Leaning forwards, Yoruichi planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. But I told you already, didn't it? I'm going to be fine."_

* * *

"Yoruichi-San?! YORUICHI-SAN?!"

Slowly opening her eyes, the dark-skinned woman peered through blurred vision up at the orange glow currently falling on her face. Orihime Inoue knelt over her, screaming through the tears that flooded her eyes. Her Soten Kisshun blazed brightly with a warm light, as it healed Yoruichi's wounds.

"Ori... hime...?"

In an attempt to move her head, she felt a sickening grinding sensation as her broken neck, still in the process of healing, cracked against itself. She briefly cried out in pain.

"Yoruichi-San, please don't move!" the auburn-haired girl cried. "Please, stay still!"

"How did you...?"

"We kinda got lost," Ganju admitted, sniffing once and sticking his finger into his ear as he looked down at the woman, through the corner of his eye.

"Then we saw you go flying," Orihime completed. "So we rushed here to help you. Thank God we got here in time."

"Ichigo..." Yoruichi spluttered urgently, coughing up a mist of blood. "Where is Ichigo?"

Ganju pulled a confused expression. "We thought he was with you?"

Attempting to sit up, Yoruichi's body trembled. "We... We have to find Ichigo!" she gasped, her weak voice finally finding solid ground. "The one that we were fighting against... He... He's too strong... If he finds Ichigo first, he's going to die!"

* * *

**"Cassiel; She Who Watches."**

A bloom of Reiatsu burst from within the falling shards of reishi. The flash of light from the release of the Vollständig seared out, before vanishing just as quickly as it came.

A heavy rushing of air roared out as Nina Redwing (The Blood) was revealed; wings beating from her back. Enormous and feathered, they stretched out to a span of at least fifteen feet and glowed brilliantly with white light. Fused to the nape of her neck and crawling over her head and across her face, pure white feathers concealed her features. Protruding from the centre of her face was a curved and angular beak, and rotating ominously either side were a pair of clear round eyes.

Pooling around her, within a circumference previously occupied by the pillar of light, a puddle of blood glistened crimson red.

Grimmjow, stood at least fifty feet away, narrowed his eyes and hissed between his sharp teeth.

As she took a step forwards, the large pool of blood lapped against the sole of her boot. Lifting one hand, Nina rotated the joint and clenched her fist.

A whirlwind of red sprang up from the ground. Roaring around her in a vibrant tornado, the blood spiralled and flashed viciously in the light.

Grimmjow's heart suddenly lurched up in his chest. A sick sensation filled his stomach, setting him on edge. He knew that an attack was coming. And a powerful one at that.

Instinct chilled his blood as he leapt backwards. Both of his hands shot up and Reiatsu erupted out of the Arrancar's body. Massive claws of blue reishi formed behind his fingers, searing the sky.

He knew that he needed to end the fight fast. Decide it before it began.

Nina was dangerous.

He couldn't let her get even a single attack off on him.

"Desgarrón!"

The attack blazed forwards, burning up the air around it. The surrounding buildings were illuminated; the cracks caused by the sudden pulse of power brought into clear view.

Nina, however, barely moved. Her avian eyes rolled towards the reishi claws and her left ring finger twitched.

All of a sudden, Nelliel leapt in front of the attack.

Grimmjow's eyes snapped open wide. All he could do was watch as the sharp tips of his claws plunged into his comrade's flesh. Bone split apart and blood saturated the air.

The green-haired Arrancar screamed in pain; blown back by the force of the strike.

Before he even knew what had happened, Grimmjow had lost sight of the Sternritter. Given the light thrown from her Vollständig, especially in the dark, it should have been impossible for her to vanish the way that she did. And yet, that was the case. Nina was nowhere to be seen.

_Have you ever seen blood in the moonlight, Nina? It appears quite black._

Her brother's words echoed in her mind, as Nina zipped through the battlefield and took Grimmjow's back.

The swarm of blood controlled by her fingertips whirled around her body, veiling the wings of the Vollständig, as the moonlight sapped colour from it. Camouflaged against the night, and with the massive speed boost her transformation had given her, she was able to avoid the Arrancar's gaze with ease.

Had Grimmjow's hearing not been as keen as it was, the battle would have ended there.

Beaded droplets of blood launched off of her form, roaring through the air like a rush of water, directly towards the back of the former Espada.

His feline ears twitching instinctively, Grimmjow dived to his left to avoid the attack. Smashing through the side of one of the few structures still standing, he put as much distance between himself and the Quincy as possible, before whirling back around to face her.

Nina hovered several feet off of the ground, her wings beating to a slow and steady rhythm. All about the girl's form spirals of blood danced through the air.

Watching her opponent, the redhead carefully assessed the situation through her avian eyes.

_He avoided the first strike... Even now, his senses and instincts are monstrous. I was fast before, but the level that I'm on now is downright inhuman. And yet... He can still dodge me._

Steadily rising higher into the air, the Quincy woman cocked her head to the side.

_Small, quick and precise attacks. His Hierro should still be able to take the brunt of it, but if I chip away he's a good as dead. All I need is a single scratch, one tiny knick, and he's done for._

Blood again swarmed around Nina, separating into thousands of individual droplets. Before the Arrancar even had a chance to launch a counterattack, the black bullets of blood pelted through the air and annihilated the building in which he stood.

Not letting up for even a second, Nina maintained the assault, her fingers twitching at her sides.

_My Schrift allows me to control the properties of blood..._ she thought to herself. _But my Vollständig allows me complete dominance of it. Any blood that my reishi touches is bent to my will. All it takes is one tiny wound, and you're mine. I can control it while it's still inside your body... And have you dancing like a puppet on a string._

* * *

**"Rafael; Trumpet of God."**

Isshin Kurosaki stepped back in shock. Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) trembled as, for only the second time in his entire life, he experienced true fear. Shinji Hirako, laying stunned and wounded on the floor, was drenched in a chilling sweat.

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) was revealed amongst the shards of white reishi. Bloodlust pulsed from his body and the very air around him felt thick and stifling with malice.

Straight and angular blades of reishi hummed from his back, positioned around twin white circles, in a shape vaguely reminiscent of a pair of wings. His clothes had been completely vaporised by the surge of power revealing his muscular body, now adorned with decorative white markings. From the waist down, his legs were entirely covered in white fur, while the digits of his hands and feet had all fused together so that they now took on the shape of hooves. Seemingly fixed to his head, obscuring his eyes from view, was a pure white helmet. From the sides of the armour white horns sprouted, like those of an ox.

Over his head, a halo in the shape of a five-pointed star rotated slowly.

Falling forwards, the hooves that were once his hands slammed into the ground, shattering the concrete. A cloud of hot air hissed from between his lips, as his breath made contact with the cold.

A split second later, and he had vanished.

Reappearing in front of Shinji's downed form, the Captain had no time to react. One of the horns on Haans' helmet punctured his stomach, ripping through the muscle and rupturing his organs. Dragged through the air like a rag doll, the Vizard was flung about helplessly, his abdomen gored beyond recognition.

Flinging the blonde Shinigami down, Haans began to hysterically laugh. Raising the hooves of either arm, he began to trample Shinji, breaking his bones with disgusting crunches as his assault continued.

So enthralled was he with the attack, the Schutzstaffel didn't even register that Isshin had charged him.

Only by chance did he glance up and realise that the edge of Engetsu was heading straight for the gap in his visor. Titling his head to the side, to dodge, a gash was opened along the side of his face, while the helmet itself was carved open. Following in the wake of the slash, white fire burned across the skin, scalding Haans and cauterising the wound.

Whipping his head sideways, to keep Isshin within his line of sight, he bared his teeth and screamed. "You dirty-!"

An orb of reishi formed between his horns and blazed brilliantly, burning up the air with power.

"Fucker!"

Isshin's eyes snapped open wide. Backstepping hurriedly, he leapt clear of the attack. The monstrous beam of reishi blazed past him, slamming into the buildings on the far side of the courtyard and continuing across the horizon. A massive portion of the Wahrwelt was gouged off in the wake of the attack.

Sweating at how close he had come to death, Isshin let out a brief breath of relief.

That was when Basilisk made his move. Having shaken off his fear, and attempting to capitalise on the Shinigami's distraction, he moved to Isshin's back once more. Springing out of the second dimension, the Sternritter lifted one arm, reishi dagger in hand.

"Now what do you think you're doing?" Haans shouted, laughter playing through the undertones of his voice.

Basilisk suddenly felt his entire body lock up.

Isshin, finally realising that the Quincy was behind him, jumped away and lifting his blade into a defensive stance in front of him.

Haans stood up straight and began to walk towards his comrade. As he moved, shards of rubble that littered the floor began to glow before bursting into bright white particles.

Still Basilisk was frozen in fear.

"Were you just trying to steal my prey from me?" Haans chuckled maliciously. "Did you not think that I could handle it myself?!" While he spoke, the white particles that now swarmed the air began to shoot towards his halo, as if caught in some kind of magnetic field. "Is that what you thought?!"

"I-I-I-I..." The Sternritter began to stammer, unable to form coherent words. Sensation returned to his limbs just enough for him to start trembling.

"Well you shitbiscuit?!" the archangel shouted. "Answer me!"

"I was just trying to help you," Basilisk blurted out.

"Help me?" Haans scoffed maliciously. "There's a reason why you were left down there! You're no use to anyone! All you're doing is getting in my way, you oily fucker!" All of a sudden, he tilted his head to the side. Still the reishi continued to soar through the air towards him. Further afield, building and chunks of the ground started to break apart. "Actually!" he grinned. "You know what? I think I may be able to get some use from you, after all!"

Instinctively realising what his comrade meant, Basilisk hurriedly moved to lift to of his fingers and escape into the second dimension.

A sickening ripping sound was heard as Haans telekinetically tore his arm off. Screaming in pain and grasping the bloody stump, Basilisk fell backwards and collapsed to the floor.

The halo floating over Haans' head blazed brighter than ever. His mouth twisted into a psychotic grin. "Sklaverei."

Writing in agony, Basilisk emitted a horrific scream. His body began to break down, eroding into brilliant white reishi. First his skin was torn off, revealing the pink of his muscles, before they too were ripped apart. Within a matter of seconds, Basilisk Jones was little more than a skeleton, the bones themselves breaking apart to fuel Haans' power. All that remained were the horrific death-throes of his screams.

Finally turning his attention back towards Isshin, Haans' smile grew even wider.

"So," he began, giggling slightly under his breath. "Now that there are no more interruptions... How about we dance, eh cowboy?"

* * *

Their opponents' strength surpassed anything they could have ever expected. Powerful was an understatement. The Sternritters that confronted them confounded even imagination.

Against the might bearing down on them, both Isshin Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jeaggerjaquez both committed to the same singular thought. Prominent in their minds, the idea solidified their resolve.

_I'm going to have to use **that.**_


	84. If You're Happy and You Know It

**Chapter 83: If You're Happy and You Know It (Clap Your Hands)**

Stirred into activity by the monstrous clashes of Reiatsu, four figures, stood solitary and stoic within Yhwach's throne room, began to move.

The sounds of heavy footfalls and rattling chains reverberated through the cavernous space, echoing off of the perfectly flat walls, and mixing with a strange clicking sound, almost like ceramic tapping together.

Through the blooms of power, they could sense something. Faint though it was, they could just about make out the flicker of Reiatsu.

A group had managed to invade the inner sanctum of the Wahrwelt.

And they needed to be dealt with.

* * *

Kisuke Urahara's motley crew registered the two massive bursts of power, on the far-reaches of their senses, and momentarily stopped.

Jushiro Ukitake stole a quick glance towards Sylvanus Athala (The Nature). "So..." he asked. "Are either of those your friend?"

Sylvanus shook his head slowly. "No... No they're not... They must be other members of the Schutzstaffel. My friend, he's- Well, he's much stronger than that."

"Surely you must be over exaggerating?" Nemu Kurotsuchi questioned, turning towards the Sternritter. Her face remained completely flat as she spoke, her expression betraying nothing.

"I wish I were," he sighed. "Thankfully he's nowhere near here right now. So it's for the best if we keep moving. If we kill Yhwach before he wakes up, and before Onmar gets back, we could actually win this... Trust me, you don't want to stick around long enough to take my friend's measure."

"I don't know," Urahara mused, smiling slightly. "You talk so highly of him, that I almost want to see if your man lives up to the legend."

"Maybe once this is over," Sylvanus grinned. "Otherwise, it's your funeral."

The group once again set off, through the hallways of the Wahrwelt. Passing through a large archway, they entered a cavernous hallway. The gently glowing walls through soft light upon the ornate carvings that decorated the walls, as well as the enormous statues that bordered the walls. Stone helms and spears loomed down over the group as they passed the guardians by.

Within the fortress, the air was unnaturally still and carried an ever so slight chill to it. Midnight in nirvana.

It was easy to forget that a war was being raged outside of the white walls, if it wasn't for the clashes of Reiatsu that they could sense.

Passing through the entry hall, they finally reached the inner sanctum. Against the far wall were the stairs that led to Yhwach's throne room.

And stood at the bottom, swathed in shadow, were four figures. Swathed in white hooded cloaks, they were as unmoving as the statues in the previous room. Even their presence radiated strength.

"Well, this is unexpected..." Urahara mused, laying eyes upon the group that impeded their path. His attention momentarily flicked towards Sylvanus. "You mentioned nothing about these guys."

The grey-haired Sternritter swallowed hard. His face beaded slightly with nervous sweat. "Because I didn't know... I have no idea who they are."

"We are servants of He who is called I Am," the largest of the figures replied. "We have always guarded His Majesty."

"That voice..." Ukitake gasped. "I recognise it... But... No, it's not possible it can't be!"

Striding forwards, the large figure reached up with a single hand and pulled the cloak from his body. As the material was removed, his stature and features came into view. Large and with extraordinarily broad shoulders, he was well-built and muscular, almost to the point that he looked fat. Wound around his neck were a set of bright red prayer beads, partially hidden by a bushy black beard. Light glinted off of the top of his bald head.

"Hyousube Ichibei?!"

The Monk strode forwards, leaving his three comrades behind as he left to confront the invading force.

The Shinigami were so shocked by what was occurring that they didn't move so much as an inch. Their stomach's knotted and their mouths grew dry. Clammy sweat gripped their palms; lumps rising in their throats.

"This can't be..." Ukitake muttered, shocked into a stupor. "Why are you on the side of the enemy?! What the hell have we been fighting for?!"

Sylvanus vacantly looked around himself, eyes moving from the singular individual, to his newfound comrades. He had no clue what was going on. "Who... Who the hell is this guy?" he asked, desperately attempting to regain his bearings.

"Hyousube Ichibei," Nemu replied, not once taking her eyes off of the man stood before them. Slowly setting down Rangiku Matsumoto's unconscious body, her expression was set like stone. "The head of the Shinigami's Royal Guard."

"This makes no sense..." Ukitake continued, in complete disbelief.

"And why is that?" Ichibei asked, setting the base of his brush down against the ground. "Our one and only duty is to defend the Soul King, to ensure that the universe does not come to ruin. And now... Yhwach is the Soul King."

"Then am I correct in assuming that the others behind you are what remains of the Zero Division?" Urahara asked, speaking up for the first time since the Royal Guard revealed himself.

"In a manner of speaking," Ichibei replied. "Though one of our number is not exactly as he seems." Striking the ground once with the butt of his calligraphy brush, he lowered his voice in a commanding manner. "Now... I implore you to retreat back from whence you came. Should you fail to comply... There will be violence."

"Why are you doing this?" Ukitake implored.

"For the sake of His Majesty," The Monk stated, calmly. "For the sake of the universe."

"But we can't just let him win like this!"

"It is no longer a matter of winning or losing. If you continue your pursuit of this futile path, reach His Majesty and end his life, then you will take everything with him. This is about more than the Soul Society. This is about the fate of everything; all that is in existence."

"Then I will take his place!" Ukitake shouted. "We will kill Yhwach and I will become the Soul King."

"Such arrogance," Ichibei muttered, closing his eyes solemnly.

"It's not arrogance," the white-haired Captain continued. Reaching up with one hand, he gripped the neck of his Shihakusho and tore the garb from his body. Now exposed, his back was revealed to have been tattooed with a jet black array, in the shape of a clenched fist. At its centre was a single white eye. As he spoke, a distant light filled Ukitake's eyes. "Because the Right Hand dwells within me." Lifting his hands, he began to explain. "My life... It should have ended when I was three years old. The disease that gripped me took hold of my lungs and threatened to take my life. And so my parents brought me to the shrine of Mimihagi-Sama; the Right Arm of the Soul King. After countless hours of praying, it relented... And now dwells within me." Staring Ichibei directly in the eye, he reaffirmed his stance. "I could safely replace the Soul King."

"That is indeed a fair claim..." Ichibei replied. "But it is still not enough. It is too risky to gamble this situation, when the fate of existence hangs in the balance." He swept one hand to the side, to indicate the malformed shape of one of the three remaining figures.. "Especially considering... There is one such as yourself who inhabits our ranks."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"There is little that needs explaining to a dead man," The Monk reaffirmed. He waved his free hand, solemnly, to signal his comrades. "Kill them all."

As the three hooded figures lunged towards the invading force, Ukitake singled out the misshapen hood as his target and lifted his two Shikai blades.

Similarly, Urahara drew Benihime from his cane and Sylvanus raised his fists.

"Nemu!" Urahara shouted back. "Provide support! Do not engage unless absolutely necessary, do you understand?"

"Understood."

No sooner had he called out to the girl, one of the figures was in his face. Wielding an enormous spatula, it clashed with him and ground the implement against Urahara's sword.

"Kirio," he said, staring into the white hood. "Please don't do this."

Kirio Hikifune looked back at him, her slim and attractive features coming into view past the shadows. "I'm sorry Kisuke, really I am. But... This is my duty. I cannot let you kill Him."

Gritting his teeth, Urahara glared out from beneath the shadow of his hat. "Then so be it. Scream! Benihime!"

Red spiritual energy blasted out of his blade, as the Shikai was released. Blown back by the force, Kirio's white cloak was torn off of her body.

Meanwhile, Sylvanus was locked in combat with Senjumaru Shuutara. Snapping a point from his necklace, lightning flickered from his eyes. Dancing across the battlefield, Onmar's jacket billowing around him, he attempted to confound the senses of the slender woman before blazing towards her at full speed.

Rapping his fists into the cloaked figure, he felt something abnormally hard beneath his knuckles, as if he had just punched incredibly dense ceramic.

As if on cue, Shuutara's numerous arms flailed outwards, pushing the Sternritter back and tearing her cloak from her body.

His feet dragging against the ground, Sylvanus managed to stop himself before lunging back towards the woman. Flickers of electricity trailed in his wake as he moved.

_Royal Guard or not,_ he thought as he pounded against the Shinigami's dozens of arms with his fists._ I am not going to let myself die here. If I can fight Onmar, then you best believe that I can fight you!_

Back across the room, Ukitake stopped himself just short of moving within range of the final hooded figure. He felt a strange and ominous sensation crawl across him, as if the God that possessed him was issuing a warning: That moving any closer would be fatal.

"Who is it beneath that cloak?!" he called out at the figure. "Tenjirou? Or Nimaya? Which of you is it?"

It didn't respond. The figure emitted a strangled hiss from within its hood. As it moved, the jangling of chains filled the air. Two distant lights shone from within the shadow cast by the hood.

All of a sudden, the ground rose up, in the shape of an enormous hand. Jet black lines were etched across the surface as the concrete appendage swung down towards the Captain, in an attempt to crush him.

Jumping back, Ukitake avoided the attack and narrowed his eyes. _What kind of attack was that? Controlling the earth? Tenjirou could never do anything like that; nor could Nimaya. What the hell is going on?!_

Beneath the hood, whatever lay inside began to expand, deforming the material even more.

_I need to find out what's under that hood, if I'm going to figure out how to fight it._ One of his eyes flicked towards Ichibei, before returning to his current opponent. _We can figure out how to deal with The Monk later... Right now this one is my main threat._

Whipping one hand up, he pointed the tip of his right blade at the mysterious creature. "Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"

A massive blast of electrically-charged spiritual energy blazed from the tip of his Zanpakuto, causing him to flinch back from the enormous recoil. Burning up the air, the attack slammed into the front of the figure before exploding out in an enormous shockwave.

The cloak was burned up by the blast, revealing something truly horrific beneath.

The body of Ohetsu Nimaya stood, twitching ever so slightly, swaying as it stood on unsteady legs. Over its Shihakusho, the body still wore it's puffy white sleeveless jacket. Grafted onto the stump of a neck, where Nimaya's head had once sat, was an enormous left hand. Chains hung between the fingers and set into the middle of the palm was a large twin-pupiled eye.

Horrified by the sudden reveal, Ukitake took a step back and partially retched in disgust. "Oh my God..."

"Now do you see what I meant when I said that there is one such as yourself within out ranks?" Ichibei said, addressing Ukitake across the cavernous room. "While you have had the Right Arm implanted in you, our deceased comrade has been used as a vessel for the Left. The power of the Right Arm truly is magnificent; the ability of stillness, to quell your disease and preserve your life... However, the purpose of the Left Arm is to evolve and advance. And just as we have adapted to our roles defending the new Soul King, so shall he continuously adapt and grow... Until you have been defeated."

Lurching forwards on unsteady legs, the monstrous creation advanced on Ukitake.

"So, shall we begin?" Ichibei asked. "Black against white; light versus dark; life battling death... Left against Right."

Light flashed through the chamber as simultaneous blasts from the three battles all erupted with the sound of a thunder clap.

"All for the sake of His Majesty."

* * *

**[A/N: Two chapters in one day! What are the chances?!**

**In other news, finally the secret has been revealed as to just what the Hooded Figures are. I can sense some serious "I told you"s coming in the reviews and the forum. I'm really happy with this mystery, and the reveal was something I've been planning for a long time so I'm so happy its turned out this way and has finally come to a head.**

**We're winding down to the end now. Expect this story to be finished by the end of July. **

**Only eight chapters to go!]**


	85. Obsession in Death

_**Chapter 84: Obsession in Death**_

_The room smelt clinical. The sterile scent of alcohol lingered in the air, licking between the numerous medical instruments. Razor sharp and bright silver, they caught the shine of the blinding overhead lights and glittered pure white._

_Slick sounds punctuated by metallic clicks filled the air as the man, stood hunched over the table, moved. Past these, however, a faint muttering could be heard._

_Tears streamed down the man's face, pouring from the corners of his blurry and bloodshot eyes._

_He was covered in blood._

_A child's voice suddenly split the still air. "Daddy?"_

_The man didn't reply. He continued to mutter to himself, cutting away at the body laid in front of him._

_"Daddy, please..." the small boy pleaded, stepping into the room. "Please stop..."_

_Still no response._

_Tears formed in the boy's eyes, brimming behind his glasses. Emotion wavered his voice. "Please stop cutting up Mommy..."_

_Ryuken Ishida paid no mind to his son. His fingers worked clumsily; the medical instruments slipping through the flesh and blood of his wife._

_Kanae had lost consciousness earlier that day; a result of the Auswählen. Immediately, Ryuken had started operating, in a futile attempt to save her life._

_She died on the operating table two hours later._

_However, he just couldn't bring himself to stop. Something deep inside him compelled Ryuken to keep going. Somewhere, in the deep recesses of his mind, he thought that he could still save her._

"Have you forgotten? It's my job to protect you. From the first day I saw you, my life has belonged to you. So, please... Please... do not be sad. If you feel sorrow, Ryūken-sama, my heart will be torn apart."

You said you were supposed to protect me..._ he thought, biting down on his lip so hard that he drew blood. _But then, shouldn't it be my job to protect you too? That time... You pleaded with me not to be sad. So please don't leave me like this. Please come back.

_"Daddy... Stop... Mommy, she-... She's dead, Daddy..."_

_"Leave me be, Uryu," Ryuken finally said. "I'm busy."_

* * *

Uryu Ishida slipped down the inside of a dark and narrow alcove. Even in spite of the soft light that the walls of the Wahrwelt threw off, it was difficult to see. He all but ignored the sounds of explosions and clashes that perforated the inside of the fortress.

Taking a deep breath, he reached into his pocket and grasped a handful of small white objects. Rectangular in shape, they vaguely resembled dominos in appearance.

Observing them for a brief second, in the half-light, he appeared to ponder through a decision.

Memories of his mother filled Uryu's head. A lump rose in his throat and he closed his eyes slowly.

Seemingly making up his mind, he solemnly shook his head and slipped the objects back into his pocket. As they fell back inside the material, the small white chips clacked together.

Finally exhaling, Uryu left the alcove and composed himself before heading back in the direction of Yhwach's throne room.

* * *

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) flipped its eyes open to reveal the distinct triple-pupilled eyes of Yhwach's Almighty ability.

Sat in the centre of its personal quarters, the Buddhist entity kept its legs crossed; palms resting on the surface of its knees. Creamy white robes were bunched gently due to the position.

"My commendations, Uryu Ishida," the ethereal creature stated, softly. "With that action, you have taken hold of your own destiny... Now, all the pieces are in place."

In the distance a massive explosion cracked with the sound of a thunderclap.

"On the horizon, the red sun rises... Soon the violence will come to an end."

* * *

Isshin Kurosaki removed his left hand from the hilt of Engetsu and reached over his right shoulder, gripping the wound inflicted on him earlier in the battle by Basilisk. Blood saturated his fingers and pain prickled over his skin.

_It's a risk to use it with this wound, but right now it seems I've got no other choice..._ he thought. _Here's hoping my Reiatsu doesn't run completely dry._

Locking eyes with Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path), through the slit in the Sternritter's visor, Isshin breathed out a single breath and returned his left hand to his blade. "Well," he grinned. "Here goes nothing."

"C'mon!" the Quincy elite laughed, lifting his fur-covered arms to his sides. "Hit me with your best shot! Don't go disappointing me, you donkey raping shit eater!"

"Hit you with my best shot, huh?" Isshin muttered. "Well, be careful what you wish for..."

Reiatsu burst out of his body. Thick and stifling, the volume was massive. Easily triple that of the average Shinigami Captain. All around him the air started to grow hot. The white flames blazing from his Zanpakuto roared fiercer than ever.

"BAN!" Beneath his feet, the ground was crushed by the weight of his power.

Eyes widening through the gap in his helmet, Haans broke into an ecstatic smile and started to laugh like a lunatic. All around him, reishi constructs continued to be torn apart and sucked towards his Halo. "NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT! GIVE ME A REAL FIGHT!"

"KAI!"

White fire seared skyward. Tongues of flame roared through the courtyard, scorching the ground black and evaporating any snow still remaining in the area.

Covered in wisps of the bleached blaze, Isshin was illuminated even brighter than Haans was by his Vollständig.

"Engetsu no Mabushii Shīn!"

Launching himself forward, explosions of fire blasted out behind him, like the propulsion systems on a rocket. An instant later and he was in the Quincy's face. His sword, the blade now seemingly replaced by impossibly dense flames, flashed upwards severing one of Haans' horns. As the slash continued on its trajectory, the large angular Halo, hovering over the Sternritter's head, was sliced apart at a diagonal angle.

The flow of reishi particles around the pair instantly stopped.

"You dirty shit!" Haans cried, lunging headlong towards the former Captain. "You destroyed my Heiligschien!"

Whirling his weapon around, Isshin ignored the Quincy's shout and swung downwards, in an attempt to split him in two.

A hideous crack filled the air as Haans twisted his neck sideways and grabbed the fire sword between his teeth. White flames burned outwards, scorching his tongue and lips black, yet he didn't even seem to care.

Laughing around the fire, the deranged Quincy hissed out a half-formed sentence. "Got y'oor 'iver!"

No sooner had he said this, agonising pain latched onto Isshin's abdomen. The skin of his side bulged outwards, deforming the surface grotesquely, and ripping the black fabric of his Shihakusho.

Wrenching his Bankai from Haans' mouth, he leapt backwards, crying out in agonising pain. Touching down on the ground, that was when it happened. The skin finally split, revealing exactly what was trying to force its way out of him. His liver flew out of the ruptured flesh, flying through the air and spattering the ground with blood.

Laughing to himself, the Sternritter popped his neck back into place and grinned broadly. "My power is Telekinesis," he explained, striding forwards slowly, giggling as he went. A clacking sound filled the air as his hooves made contact with the ground. "The Psycho-Path. I can move anything I want, anything at all, all with my mind." Indicating the discarded organ with the hoof fused to his right wrist, he cocked his head to the side. "And right now I picked your liver. Grabbed hold of it using my noodle and ripped it right out of ya'! Pop!"

Gritting his teeth, Isshin began to sweat profusely, ragged breath ripping through his lips.

"Soooooo..." Haans cooed playfully. "Ready to have me take you apart like a Mr Potato Head?"

"You know... As fun as that sounds..." Isshin retched. "I'm gonna have to say no. Especially considering..." His haggard appearance suddenly changed, an expression of serenity passing over his face. The Shinigami stood up straight. "My liver is now right back where it's supposed to be."

In the corner of Haans' peripheral vision, the discarded lump of flesh burst into flames. Once the blaze cleared, nothing remained. As this happened, fire flared off of Isshin's side. After the initial flash, it dissipated revealing perfectly smooth skin.

"What the-?!" the Shutzstaffel stammered for a brief instant. "You can heal?! You cheating little shit!"

_Not exactly,_ he thought, winding his hands around the hilt of his Zanpakuto. _This is is different from normal healing. I can't get hit like that again or I'm screwed. But... It's shaken him enough. I don't think he's going to try and pull my organs out again._

A steely expression passed over Isshin's face.

_So before he figures out exactly how my Bankai works... I hit him hard with everything I've got. I'll aim for the weak point. The chink in his armour. Blut Vene is a pain in the ass, but only if you don't know how to deal with it._

A massive burst of flames flashed out of his body in a pure white torrent. Beneath the pressure of his power, cracks split open on most of the tiles in the area. Around the courtyard, buildings spontaneously started to catch light due to the intense heat.

"Oh so I guess we're doing this now!" Haans cackled, watching the display. Prickly head licked over his skin as the flames lashed at his body.

Rearing his arms up at his sides, the Shutzstaffel began to form an enormous construct over his head from all of the reishi his Sklaverei had accumulated. Forming into the shape of an enormous ornate horn, the reishi fused together so tightly that it became impossibly dense. Crackles of electricity sparked from the surface and the air grew thick and heavy with static.

"Trompete!"

Isshin stared down the attack, burning ferocity behind his eyes. Altering his stance, he held his blade of fire at his side and prepared for a horizontal slash. "Hi-jō no tsuki!"

* * *

Feeling a sudden spike in Reiatsu, Yasutora Sado flinched as he ran.

"Ichigo..." he said, glancing sidelong at his companion. "Can you feel that?"

"What, that Reiatsu?"

"Yeah..." Chad confirmed. "Something about it feels kind of familiar."

Ichigo Kurosaki pulled a confused face and lifted a single eyebrow, never once breaking pace. "I don't know. I don't recognise it... I don't think it belongs to anyone in the Gotei. But- I mean- it can't be a Sternritter, can it?"

Observing his friend from the corner of his eye, Chad didn't say a word. He left Ichigo to ponder on the source of the power, all the while keeping his own senses attuned to it.

It was strange. Alien though it was, there was something vague that caught his attention. A feeling that he couldn't shake. It was why he had managed to single it out amongst the maelstrom of Reiatsu that gripped the Wahrwelt.

The Reiatsu... reminded him of Ichigo.

In the distance, a massive explosion ripped through the floating fortress. Bursting skyward, a sonic boom lashed out with the sound of a thunderclap. The shockwave slammed into Chad's chest, choking the air out of his lungs. He instinctively lifted one arm to shield his face.

Around the other side of the mountain of a castle, one of the five arms of the airborne city was annihilated by the blast. Chunks of rubble dived down into the open abyss, screaming towards the 72 barriers before being ripped into dust.

Now separated from the centre point, the solitary disk dipped sideways. Shaken by the aftershock, it listed sideways and began to lose buoyancy.

Flying from the ruins, streaking across the sky, a distant white light shone through the black like a shooting star.

Stopping briefly, the duo let out a simultaneous breath of dismay.

"Damn..." Ichigo breathed. "That was one hell of a blast."

"Tell me about it..." Chad replied. "I'd hate to be the one that got caught up in that."

"It came from where that Reiatsu is," the orange-haired youth continued. "So whoever it is is packing some serious heat."

Chad swallowed hard. "Let's just hope they're still alive."

* * *

_"Hey there, stud."_

_Isshin Shiba glanced down from his full standing height and laid eyes on an auburn-haired girl, looking up at him. His slim and youthful features blushed at the statement._

_Gripped between his lips was a cigarette. The tip dropped flecks of ash onto the lapel of the black jacket that he wore._

_"Since when did you smoke?" Masaki Kurosaki grinned, hooking arms with him and practically dragging the black-haired man down the road._

_He pouted around the butt, still clenched in his mouth. "Well, you told me it looked cool."_

_In their wake, gaggles of Highschool girls whispered amongst themselves at the display._

_"Isn't that Kurosaki?"_

_"Who's the guy?"_

_"Haven't you heard? That's her boyfriend!"_

_"So she's into older men now?"_

_"He looks like a mortician. I mean what's with that black suit?"_

_"I dunno, I think he's kinda cute."_

_"Where did she meet him, anyway? I thought her and Ishida-Senpai were a thing."_

_Looking down at her as he walked, Isshin pulled a sympathetic expression. "Sorry. I guess picking you up from school wasn't the best idea, after all."_

_"People are going to talk no matter what we do," she smiled cheerfully in reply. Looking up at Isshin, Masaki broke into a wide grin. "I'd rather have them do it on my terms. Then at least it doesn't feel like I'm hiding anything." Reaching into the school bag slung over her shoulder, she pulled out two slips of paper. "So. Fancy going to catch a movie?"_

_Breathing out smoke, Isshin smirked ever so slightly. "Do I have much of a choice?"_

_"Nope!" Masaki laughed, her infectious smile catching onto him. "But, seeing as I bought the tickets, you have to take me for ice cream after."_

_"Well seeing as you asked so nicely."_

_They walked side by side down the road, cars passing them in colourful blurs at regular intervals. Smiles hooked the corners of their lips and conversation between them flowed effortlessly._

_They talked about Isshin's time as a Shinigami. What the Soul Society was like. Masaki asked him if he missed it and he replied honestly. There were parts that he missed, but staying with her more than made up for it._

_"Tell me about Quincies," he said, taking another drag on his cigarette. "What's it like not being able to get hurt?"_

_"You mean Blut Vene?" she asked, with a smile. "It's not really anything special. Do you not have anything like it?"_

_"Not at all."_

_"Hmm," Masaki hummed. "Well it's not really perfect. You can still get hurt. I mean, everything has a weak-spot." Turning around, she started to walk backwards and pointed at her chest with both index fingers. "This is how Ryuu-Chan explained it to me. You mix reishi with your blood. Simple, right? Well it's all gotta start somewhere." One of her fingertips tapped against the left side of her chest. "Right here, in the heart. That's where its strongest. Blood flows to your head and arms first, so they're the next most protected."_

_"So the further away from the heart you get hit, the more likely it's going to break through?"_

_"That's right," she smiled. "And other than your legs and feet, where's that?" Her hands moved down and patted the bottom of her torso. "Down here, past your belly."_

_"You know you essentially just told me how to kill you, right?" Isshin laughed as Masaki turned back around and fell into step beside him. Their fingers wound together as they held hands._

_"Oh no! Is the big bad Shinigami going to kill little old me?"_

_"Don't make fun of me." He started to chuckle. "You know I don't have my powers."_

_Masaki smiled softly. "I know. And I know that, even if you did have them, you would never hurt me."_

_Watching the glow of her smile, Isshin felt a wave of content wash over him. He knew, without any shadow of a doubt, that this girl was his Sun. The centre of his universe._

* * *

"After she died, I was heartbroken. Masaki was, and always will be, my everything.

And because of Yhwach, she was taken away from me.

I can remember it all. Every single moment that we spent together. If our life together was a tape, I'd have watched it constantly. Every precious memory, every instant with her, I've committed to memory. I was, and still am, obsessed.

And so... There's not a single thing about Quincy that I don't know.

I know their laws, their ways of life, their fighting styles. But most importantly... I know their weaknesses.

So, if I can use all I know to take on the people that took her from me... Then all the better."

* * *

_**[A/N: It's all winding down now. Seven chapters to go. But fear not, after this one every chapter will be at least 4000 words, so its like getting two for one.**_

_**Once again, a MASSIVE thank you to PrinceAlladin2 for help designing Isshin's Bankai. All of its secrets will be revealed soon!]**_


	86. Let There be Light

**Chapter 85: And the Lord Said: "Let There Be Light"**

Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) was roused from unconsciousness as she felt the ground shift beneath her. The walls of the building that she was hiding in began to crack and split. The vibrations of an earthquake shook her entire body violently.

Over Aya's head, the ceiling started to cave in.

"Wh-what's going on?!" she stammered out, dazed and disoriented.

Naturally, nobody answered her. All she heard was the roar of destruction as buildings all around where she was hidden began to collapse.

Bowing to the side, the ground beneath her started to tilt to the left. And it didn't stop. Objects fell from shelves, tables were overturned. Legs buckling due to the sudden change in orientation, Aya fell to the floor.

Something strange was happening. She wasn't sure of what, but what Aya did know was that whatever it was, it was dangerous. And she needed to escape.

Fast.

Crystalline light blasted from the buckle of her belt, in the shape of a five-pointed Zeichen.

"Shi no Niji; Death's Rainbow."

Luminous white wings, shaped like those of a dragonfly's, sprouted from Aya's back and flickered furiously. Reishi solidified around her into the shape of a long furisode, and the gloves that clung to her hands transformed into solid glass. Over her head, the typical halo span rapidly and refracted flashes of rainbow colours.

Her Vollständig seared through the night, streaking through the black as she fled the falling wreckage of the city.

Aya moved at an impossibly fast speed, breaking the sound barrier in a massive sonic boom. Within a matter of seconds, she had crossed half of the distance of the Wahrwelt. And she was heading straight for the top layer of the fortress.

* * *

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) felt the ground beneath him shift, as the shockwave of the blast coursed through the Wahrwelt. A deep fissure opened in the ground to his left and a number of the numerous white pillars that bordered the hallway toppled, crashing down in a thunderous crescendo.

Dust settled on his tattered uniform and clung to his off-cut white hair, in tiny clumps and particles.

Slamming his hand into the wall, Snow attempted to steady himself. Muddled blue eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted together. A sharp breath drew in through his nose.

As the shaking started to die down, he caught his bearings and ran for the nearest window. He just about caught the tail end of the destruction; the disk bearing an entire city crumbling and plummeting into the maw of night below. Wisps of white fire and echoes of insanely dense reishi rumbled through the air.

Breath catching in his throat, Snow's eyes opened wide and his fingers started to tremble. "What the hell was that...?" he gasped. Squinting his eyes, Snow tuned his senses on the scrambled Reiatsu. "Haans? And a Captain, I think..."

Turning sideways, he fell back against the wall bordering the window and exhaled.

_It's way too dangerous out there... I'm glad I decided to stay in the fortress. The problem is what happens when His Majesty wakes up. I'm pretty certain that Beraht and the Royal Guard won't bother me as long as I don't attack Him. But... That doesn't mean anything. Where I stand right now is really rocky territory. As soon as He wakes up, Yhwach could just as easily kill me as leave me alive. If I had managed to kill one or two of the invaders, I could maybe see some mercy. But right now? I don't like my chances..._

Pushing himself into an upright position, Snow straightened his back and continued on his way, down the hallway.

_Still... This seemed like a good decision back when I still had wine in my system, but I'm not so sure anymore. If I fuck this up, it's close to suicide. No. Strike that. Definitely suicide._

His footsteps perforated the still air of the corridor. Cold air washed over him as a chilling breeze swept in through the archways and windows. It set him at ease; reminding him of home. He was used to the cold. He liked the cold.

It was one of the few things that still managed to calm him.

A vision of a village passed in front of his eyes. Settled into a mountain valley, hidden by pines and a thick dusting of snow. The light from the sun, streaming through a gap in the clouds, glittered over the drifts and caught airborne flakes.

Nerves settled, Snow balled his fingers into fists, flexing the joints. After several seconds, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out an ornate silver disk. Light caught the images carved into its surface in an elegant glare.

Observing it with eyes like pools of muggy slush, Snow's mouth curled into an ever so slight smile.

"I know that I stole you... That you have no right to help me..." he muttered to the object. "But I've actually grown pretty attached to you. I'm sad to see you go."

Clasping the medallion between his fingers and thumbs, with both hands, he maintained the sad smile.

"I guess this is goodbye."

A sharp crack echoed down the hallway as he snapped the disk in half.

Spiritual energy bled out into the air, before a rush of harsh cold blasted from the broken silver. Bursting from the medallion the visage of a dragon, formed from ice, erupted out into the air. Wings beating furiously, it soared out of the closest window. As it moved it started to break apart and dissipate, evaporating into the night.

Within a matter of seconds, the creature was gone.

Snow tossed down the two halves of the medal and watched the dragon vanish. "I'll probably be joining you soon. But don't worry... I'm going to have company."

* * *

Isshin Kurosaki was flung backwards by the overwhelming force of the colliding attacks, ploughing into the side of the monstrous fortress and annihilating several dozen walls. His left arm, and his left leg from the calf down, had both been torn off by the power of the blast. Blood spurted from his mouth and the flames around his body started to flicker, before blazing even brighter than before.

His body trembled as white fire flared across his skin.

As the fire raged, his extensive wounds all began to vanish; the missing limbs reappearing in a flash of flames. Despite this, however, Isshin's breathing grew ragged. Sweat streamed from every pore and his eyes started to lose focus.

His Bankai was dangerous. Especially when he was heavily wounded. It depleted far too much of his Reiatsu.

* * *

_Upon activation of his Bankai, for all intents and purposes, Isshin Kurosaki **became** fire. That is to say that his body, despite still being a solid construct, bore a lot of the properties typically associated with flames._

_Imagine the world as a fireplace, and Isshin the blaze set in the middle. In such an instance, what would one imagine his Reiatsu to be?_

_The wood. Kindling. Coal. The fuel._

_And as long as the fuel remains, the fire continues to burn._

_For Isshin Kurosaki, dismembering one of his limbs while his Bankai is active would be about as effective as trying to remove a single tongue of fire. Once taken, it would simply fizzle out, replaced by more fire generated by the burning fuel._

_Though it would be incorrect to think of him as indestructible._

_For, once his Reiatsu completely burns out, he would be as good as dead. And the more his body is injured and torn apart, the more fuel is needed to replace the lost fire._

_This was the reason behind why he didn't often engage his Bankai. Why he held off on using it, if he were critically injured. Because, while he would be completely healed, he would be rendered incapable of fighting._

_The battle would be over before it began._

_However, this was not such an instance._

_The battle was over. It was done._

_Isshin had survived._

* * *

Stumbling to his feet, the former Shinigami Captain hurriedly disengaged his Bankai and fell forwards. Thrusting out his sealed Zanpakuto, the blade sank into the ground like some kind of makeshift cane.

Ragged breaths shook his body, limbs trembling from the effort of simply standing.

Breath hitching in his throat, Isshin looked up through his murky vision and peered out into the wreckage left by his exchange with the Sternritter. Rubble and destruction extended as far as he could see, before plummeting out into the open air. The Quincy was nowhere in sight.

His voice was weak and wavering as he choked out the relieved statement: "It's over..."

"Wrong! It's over when I say it's over!"

An incredible pressure suddenly assaulted Isshin, as if he had been grasped by an enormous hand. Lifted clean off the floor, the force continued to increase, until he felt like he was being crushed.

Haans Lander (The Psycho-Path) floated through the tunnel of wreckage, suspended in the air by a pair of glowing reishi wings. His helmet had been split at and off angle on the left hand side, revealing the gashed surface of his face beneath. Most of what remained of his body was severely charred and burnt.

From between his legs to his right shoulder, Haans had been bisected. Both his right leg and right arm had been torn from his body, the pink flesh and white bone seared by fire so hot that the wound looked like a mass of charcoal. Cauterised by the heat, he was barely bleeding.

"You think you beat me, you piece of shit?!" Haans shouted, increasing the pressure of his psychic grip on the Shinigami. "Beat me? Ended me?! Killed me dead?! Big fucking mistake!"

Isshin screamed as his left arm was broken by the force.

"That's it!" Haans laughed. "Scream for me. I wanna hear it! The sound of your voice as I crush the life out of you! You think something like this would be enough to beat me?! Huh?! Answer me!"

Another scream shook the air as the Sternritter upped the force once again.

"Come on, asshole! Let me see it! The face you make when you know you're gonna die! Can you feel it? Knowing that there's nothing you can do? Feel the world fall out from under you! Your world shatter! Because right now... I! Am! Your! G-"

Haans blinked once.

"... Why can't I feel my everything?"

Isshin fell out of the air and slammed into the white concrete beneath him.

"Hm..." a calm, yet amused voice rang out through the cavernous space inside the fortress. "They sure are tenacious."

Recognising the voice, the elder Kurosaki's head shot up to stare at the new arrival.

Sosuke Aizen stood holding Haans' severed head by one of his horns. His body was swathed in scraps of torn and frayed black bandages. Reaching up with his free hand, he pulled away the restraints covering the right hand side of his face.

He broke into a smile. "Even with his head removed he just won't die, will he?"

A single bright blue eye rotated upwards and glared at the treasonous former Captain. "Who the fuck are you?!"

"And such a mouth too..." Aizen mused. "Well... Let's see if this works."

Tossing the head of the Schutzstaffel nonchalantly, he lifted one hand and slowly parted his lips.

"Whoa!" Haans' shouted, as his melon traced a fine arc through the air.

Immediately realising what was about to happen, Isshin forced his ruined body to move. Flinging himself out of the way, he glanced over one shoulder towards the Quincy's severed head.

"Hadō #90," Aizen's calm voice said. Cold light shone from his brown eyes. "Kurohitsugi."

Black energy dwarfed the area around the head in a massive radius. Echoes of spiritual pressure blasted out in impossibly dense shockwaves. Isshin just about managed to avoid the area of destruction.

Haans' Lander (The Psycho-Path) was utterly crushed.

"So," Aizen said pleasantly, turning towards Isshin. "Where exactly is this man that calls himself God?"

* * *

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) stopped for a brief second to observe the destruction left by Haans and Isshin's attacks.

Flexing his fingers at his sides, the chiseled muscles of his torso rippled in tandem as he steadily moved. Set into his pectorals and shoulders, the Gravity Nodes remained static.

Ahead of him, entering the upper layers of the Wahrwelt's central fortress, he could sense Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu. With the speed that he could move at, when he was using his T-1 ability, Onmar could have closed the distance relatively quickly. The problem was the strain that it put on his body. And with the shattered Node, that wasn't something that he could afford to be careless with.

He needed to keep his body in as stable a condition as possible, in case he was forced to use his Vollständig.

A flicker of warmth suddenly started to lick at his back.

Turning his head, Onmar peered towards the horizon. The faint glow of orange light, that preceded the sight of the rising sun, had started to gently illuminate the darkness below the Wahrwelt.

It wouldn't be long until Yhwach awoke.

Lime eyes turned back to face the imposing visage of the castle. _Somewhere in there... Syl is running to his death. Shit, for all I know, he may as well be dead already..._

An uncomfortable lump bounced inside his throat.

_I'm a terrible friend..._ he thought. _I couldn't convince him to stop... And I was too cowardly to help him. I wasn't even man enough to kill him myself... Because I didn't want to watch him die._

Onmar's knuckles locked as he clenched his fist.

_I gave him a fighting chance... But at the end of the day, what does that really mean?_

Thoughts of his best friend, butchered by the Quincy King, filled Onmar's head. Ways in which Sylvanus could be killed plagued him. They banished everything else from his mind and haunted him.

Shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb, Onmar squeezed his eyes shut in and attempt to rid himself of the thoughts. Molars grinding together, he exhaled sharply between his teeth.

_No..._ he thought. _This isn't the time for it. I can't be thinking about him now... I need to catch up to Kurosaki and kill him._

_But what then? What happens after that? After we've won... What if Sylvanus is still alive and I have to watch Yhwach kill him? What if he's dead?_

Setting off at a run, he charged through the streets chasing the Reiatsu of Ichigo Kurosaki.

_I can't fight His Majesty. Doing so is equatable to suicide. And if I betray him, I know that I won't go quickly. He'll torture me slowly... And probably do the same to Syl._

His expression hardened. Onmar all but ignored Haans' Reiatsu vanish as the Schutzstaffel was killed.

_I don't want him to suffer. I don't want anyone to suffer. Not again._

A scene long since passed flashed briefly through his mind.

_I don't want to be responsible for suffering again._

Resolve glowed from Onmar's pale green eyes. His face set itself into an expression of sad determination.

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) dipped his head and ducked to the side, to dodge the needle and thread that was zipping through the air around him. Set into his face and sparking with white lightning, his eyes vibrated as he watched the sewing implements dart about the cavernous room.

"What's the matter?" Senjumaru Shuutara asked, maintaining a cold expression on her face. She stood with her arms folded casually, as the dozen ceramic arms behind her back moved furiously, flinging and reeling in needle-tipped threads. "It looks to me like you're struggling to keep up with me, boy?"

A needle whizzed forwards, aiming directly for the Quincy's eyes. Sylvanus' left arm lurched upwards, blocking the attack before sweeping to the side.

A split second later, the needle began to wind through his flesh at high speed. At lightning speed, his right hand shot over and ripped the wire from his muscles.

Eyes flashing up, he spotted the minuscule forms of more needles swarming towards him. Diving to the side, he rolled once before settling into a crouching position and kicking off hard from the ground. Feet danced over the floor, blurring as he moved and trailing lightning in their wake.

Zigzagging through the room, he dipped and ducked out of the way of the Royal Guard's attacks, all the while maintaining an advance on her.

Once he was within range, he launched a flurry of punches towards the slender woman at high speed. However, not one of them made contact.

Blurring backwards in retreat, the Shinigami evaded the attack, all the while maintaining her perfect posture.

"Seeing me move and being able to catch me is a very different matter," Senjumaru retorted, a coy smile playing across her painted lips. "I can tell from the way you move, and how you use your eyes, that you're used to fighting people much faster than yourself. Maybe even faster than me... But if all you're doing is reacting, then you'll always fall short."

Sylvanus started to sidestep rapidly, dodging the follow up attack of the woman. Gritting his teeth, he thought back on his battle with Onmar.

_"I'm not going to kill my last friend. So the best I can do... Is at least give you a fighting chance."_

Suddenly, Shuutara's hands started to move. The sound of clacking porcelain filled the air, as they rippled mechanically.

Sylvanus felt his heart spontaneously seize up. It felt like something had gently gripped the organ, restricting its pumping motion.

Reflexively clutching his chest, he grey-haired Quincy dashed back across the room. "Wh-what the...?"

"I just touched your heart," Shuutara replied, cryptically. "I reached into the ether with these hands of mine, and stopped you."

Lowering his brows, the Sternritter said nothing.

"I can see that you're confused," the Royal Guard continued. "So before your life ends, I'll explain it to you. The Soul King granted me the title The Master of Threads. It means that I am able to weave the fibres of life. Reach into the tapestry of reality. There is not a single physical substance in this world that my hands cannot touch."

A current of nervous fear suddenly coursed through the Quincy's body.

Leaping back, Sylvanus somersaulted once and landed feet first, two thirds of the way up one of the massive bordering walls. Bending his knees, he dug his fingers into the stone and gripped, holding himself perched in a crouching position. Lifting his head, harsh eyes glared down at the Shinigami Royal Guard.

"Your allies seem well-matched against my comrades," Shuutara said, flatly. "But it's useless. You, as you are, are no match for me." She glanced sideways, towards the towering staircase leading up to Yhwach's throne room. "Nor will you be a match for His Majesty. So cease this futile resistance, and resign yourself to your fate."

Again, Onmar's words slipped through his mind, like water dripping from a leaking faucet.

_"This whole time... Your body has been under the effects of six times normal gravity."_

_She's right..._ he thought. _By all right and logic, I should be completely outmatched. She should be able to kill me easily... But I am not going to die here! Onmar didn't give me this chance for me to kick the bucket in my first real fight!_

Lifting his free hand, he snapped a different point off of his necklace. The lightning coursing over his body and blazing from his eyes vanished. Twin cyclones of air were whipped up and began to churn about his body.

Tossing down the broken piece of silver, he grabbed hold of the lapel of Onmar's jacket; still covering his naked torso.

_I didn't want to have to use this just yet... But if this is what it takes, then so be it! She says she can touch anything with a physical form? Fine. Then I'll just have to attack her with something that doesn't have a physical form._

Clenching his fingers tighter inside the rock of the wall, he shattered the concrete with the force of his grip.

_Thank you Onmar. Thanks to you... I can finally use this technique._

* * *

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) stood staring out of one of the many thousands of windows of the Wahrwelt. The sun, reflected in its eyes, was rising rapidly on the horizon.

"The red sun rises," the spectral individual stated calmly. "Blood has been spilt this night."

No sooner had Beraht spoken, the six blood red irises of its eyes blurred and vanished, leaving behind clear and flat white in their wake.

"And so You Awaken," the being said softly. "I pray that in Your sleep that You have found enlightenment. For now begins the final countdown. The path to the end that I witnessed in those eyes of Yours. From the darkness, light shall rise."

* * *

_Ichigo Kurosaki stepped through the doors of Yhwach's throne room. Around his body, the material of his Shihakusho billowed imposingly. Strapped to his back was the sleek form of his Shikai blade._

_Sat across the room, still asleep on his throne and dwarfed in shadow, Yhwach threw an intimidating pressure down over the space._

_Bordering the walls deep red banners, emblazoned with the insignia of the Vandenreich, set the scene with a foreboding air. Flaming torches mounted on the sides of the pillars threw deep orange light over the floor._

_The sun still had yet to fully rise._

_Reaching behind his back, Ichigo gripped the bandage-wrapped hilt of the sword and swung it down into a combat ready stance. Caught by the motion, his bright orange hair swayed and fluttered around his face._

_Charging headlong towards the Kaiser of the Quincy, Ichigo lifted the Zanpakuto above his head and swung it down in a vicious slash. Air parted around it in a rushing roar, and light gleamed off of the blade._

_Slamming into Yhwach's shoulder, the blade smashed clean through his collarbone and cleaved him in twain. Blood fountained into the air, spattering Ichigo's rage-filled face._

_Yhwach's eyes shot open wide as he choked on his own blood. He slipped from consciousness, pupils rolling back in his head as he died without even having a chance to defend himself._

_Darkness took him._

_For a time, that was all there was. A suffocating black. That is, until the pinprick of light appeared. Little more than a white dot, it grew brighter and brighter; larger and larger. Before he knew it, Yhwach was swallowed by light._

* * *

Eyelids flickering, He awoke unharmed and sat upon His throne. Ichigo Kurosaki was nowhere to be seen.

Blasting through the inside of the Wahrwelt, Yhwach could hear the explosive sounds of battle.

Reaching up with His left hand, He touched the black cloak that was draped over His shoulder. The fingers came away clean. There was no blood. Yhwach was unharmed.

Light streamed in through the narrow skylight, throwing red across His form. The Quincy Kaiser, the new Soul King, was awoken by the light of the morning sun.

"What a wonderful dream..." He muttered, before breaking into a wide smile. "Yes. It was a dream so wonderful... That it may very well have been a nightmare."

The shadows clinging to His body swelled and grew. Dozens of large malformed red eyes opened across the blackness.

"Come, Ichigo Kurosaki," Yhwach stated, his voice deep and imposing. "Let us dance across the scales. The soul of the Universe in the balance. I await your futile resistance... For, now that you have failed to kill me in my sleep, you have lost your chance at victory."

His smile broadened.

"Come and meet your death."


	87. At The Gates of Armageddon

**Chapter 86: At The Gates of Armageddon**

_Moving stooped through the cavernous store room, Soken Ishida dropped his feet in silent footsteps. He was trying his best to remain unnoticed; to move without attracting any unwanted attention._

_The young Quincy knew that he couldn't stay in the Silbern much longer; that the safest option would be to flee while nobody yet suspected him. If his plan was to work, he would need to get his hands on as many artefacts as possible._

_A white bag, strapped to his belt, jangled as he moved. Inside, a number of silver objects clacked together._

_Grasping hold of a number of Seeleschneiders, hung up on the wall by their tail ends, Soken slipped them into the sack._

_"Come on, come one," he muttered under his breath. His bright eyes raced through the numerous alcoves and cupboards, seemingly searching for something. "These trinkets are a start, but I need something more. Where are they?"_

_"Are you looking for something?" suddenly arose a cool, flat voice._

_Fear gripping him, the young Quincy whirled around to look behind him. Light bursting from the cross chained to his wrist, he materialised a bow and rapidly loaded a Heilig Pfeil._

_Stood in the doorway, light at its back, Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (Sternritter A) calmly observed its comrade._

_"I take it you are here to stop me?" Soken asked, narrowing his eyes and tightening his grip on the arrow._

_"I am here for no reason other than to simply be here," the being of indeterminate gender replied. "To observe your course of action; the results of your decisions."_

_"So you know what I'm up to? How? I haven't said anything to the others. I've kept my motivations to myself."_

_"I have heard your thoughts," Beraht replied. "They entered my head and passed out through my lips, in a conversation with the air." The pure white creature noted an expression of discomfort flash across its junior's face. "Now you're wondering if I can read your mind. And now you're worried about what else I may have heard. I can answer you on both if you desire? Listening to your thoughts is all a manner of perspective. Everything in this world is circular; it is all a part of a cycle. I merely become a part of that cycle. I become a vessel for your thoughts, and speak them aloud. Without doing so, I cannot attune to what is swimming in your mind. Does that answer your question?"_

_"You're awfully cryptic today." Soken spoke in a low, deliberate fashion. He moved in a calculated manner, slowly stepping backwards to gain more distance between himself and the Schutzstaffel._

_"And thus it becomes apparent that you and I have not spent much time with one-another." Beraht lifted its arms to its sides; sleeves swaying gently. "By all means, if you are planning to shoot me then please do so. I have no quarrel with you, but if you feel this necessary, then I will not move to stop you." Light reflected over the smooth surfaces of its solid milky eyes. "Though before you do, allow me to express something to you."_

_"What's that, then?"_

_"My deepest regrets that you couldn't find what you sought on this side of the War. Had you remained, you undoubtedly would have become a member of the Sternritter."_

_"But you already know why I couldn't, don't you?" Soken stated._

_"You have compassion for Shinigami," the ethereal creature replied. "You see them for what they are: Great balancers of the World. Should they cease to exist, to regulate the flow of Souls, then all of reality would crumble."_

_"And yet you still insist on fighting them," the young man retorted. The glare of his reishi bow reflected in the surface of the glasses that he wore. "On following Yhwach's insane notion of killing the Soul King."_

_"I insist on nothing. I have no agenda, for I have no desires." Beraht lowered its arms and moved forwards ever so slightly. "I am merely here to obtain enlightenment. What Yhwach desires is to bring about an end to all things; remake reality as he sees fit. And if by those same means all suffering is brought to an end, then it should be obvious why it is the path that I would follow. However, as it stands now, I have no notion of what the outcome will be. Even as we exchange our places at night, I have no clue what will come to pass. Such a time is reserved for when Yhwach regains his power. And then, once I am able to divine the future, through the eyes of The Almighty, I will make whatever decision best benefits the World."_

_"But then what if you've been wrong this entire time?" Soken shot back. "What if the end isn't what you want it to be?"_

_"I believe that I already expressed my sentiments on wanting. Indeed, I do not want anything. However, if there comes a time when Yhwach's life is tantamount to the destruction and suffering of all, that is when I shall step in."_

_Soken's gaze remained steely and stoic. "So you're going to kill him?"_

_"No," Beraht replied simply. "I am incapable of ending a life with my hands."_

_"Then what will you do?"_

_"Through our choices we shape the world," the white creature explained. "The future is not set in stone. Our decisions can alter the path of fate, and from there many billions of possibilities become apparent to us. As we act, we give those that come after the means to realise their destinies; the ability to craft the outcome that they desire."_

_Soken lowered his bow. A mixture of confusion and hopeful realisation passed over his face. "What are you talking about?"_

_Beraht reached inside its pure white robes and withdrew a small bleached leather bag. The contents clacked together as it moved. "I am making a choice. I believe these are what you have been looking for?"_

_The young Quincy was stunned. "You're helping me?"_

_"Not at all," the Schutzstaffel replied. "I am giving you the means to become the master of your own fate."_

_Beraht dropped the bag at Soken's feet before turning fluidly and making its way from the store room._

_"What will be will be. Please ensure that, whatever you may choose to do, it is truly what you desire."_

* * *

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) slipped his hand inside the small silver box. Set against the far wall of Beraht's chambers, it was one of the only pieces of furniture the room afforded, save for the occasional white cushion and stick of burning incense.

Fingers closing around the contained object, he withdrew his hand and pocketed the artifact.

This was it. He had committed to his course of action. There was no longer any chance to turn back.

"You remind me a lot of a young man that I once had the pleasure of knowing," spoke an eerily calm voice, from the doorway to the room. "He too had a habit of taking things that didn't belong to him... Though his charm and resolve more than made up for it. The same can be said of you."

Snow stopped, before slowly beginning to turn around. Beraht was stood, blocking his path of exit. The being's eyes had returned to normal, no longer bearing the distinct pupils of The Almighty.

"So His Majesty is finally awake," Snow muttered, narrowing his off-colour eyes.

"Indeed he is. The eleventh hour is upon us. And it seems... You have made your decision."

"Don't try and stop me," the beautiful man said, his voice low and imposing.

"As I said to that young man, all those years ago: I am here for no reason other than to simply be here. To observe your course of action; the results of your decisions." Beraht took a silent step forwards. "I will not be stopping you."

Snow raised one neatly plucked eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Yhwach has awoken," Beraht repeated. "From here on in, the fate of the Universe is to be decided. And, while I indeed thwarted attempts at his assassination while he slept, now that His Majesty is awake I have no such responsibility. The clash of ideals is almost upon us, and we all have a part to play. That is what was revealed to me, through the eyes of The Almighty."

"So you're letting me live because I'm essential in the future you've seen?" Snow asked.

"You are essential in a number of futures," the Schutzstaffel replied, slowly. "And negligible in others. Which will come to pass is entirely down to circumstances and the decisions of others. We all bear the power to change the future, in our own small ways. The beating wings of a butterfly have the potential to cause a hurricane; the choices of one man have the power to change the Universe."

Snow gritted his teeth together and lowered his brows. The man's effeminate face scrunched slightly as he attempted to discern exactly what the strange being was after. His comrade had always been cryptic, but this was something different. Its words were heavy and foreboding, and this unnerved the Sternritter. "What do you want?"

Beraht turned to the side and stared off into the ether. "I wish to bring about an end to suffering. To obtain enlightenment."

* * *

Grimmjow Jeaggerjaquez was in a serious bind. The strength of his opponent far outstripped anything that he had ever thought possible. The ability to control blood, both literally and in terms of its properties, was a terrifying and dangerous concept. Even the slightest scratch and he would be dead.

He knew that for a fact.

"Damn it..." he growled, through the sharp and jagged teeth of his Ressurreción. "And here I was planning on saving this one for Kurosaki..."

Nina Redwing (The Blood) recalled the thousand deep crimson drops of moisture back to her, with a wave of her hand. Spiraling around her angelic form, like helixes of DNA, the blood flashed bright red as it caught the glow of the rising sun. The pure white feathers that covered her head and face fluttered in the breeze.

Folding her arms across her chest, Nina waited for the Arrancar to reveal himself.

She had been chipping away at his defences for a while, and Nina could tell that he was reaching his limit. Grimmjow's movements were nowhere near as fast as they had been; his reflexes and instincts not as sharp.

All she needed to do was wait for an opening, then she would be able to smash through his weakened Hierro in one clean hit.

That was when it happened.

Reiatsu erupted from the wreckage of the buildings in a massive burst. Deep blue energy flared upwards in a raging torrent, biting at the sky. The blast was so massive that Nina was forced to raise one arm in front of her face, to shield it from the rain of rubble.

"What the...?"

_Where the hell did this Reiatsu come from?!_ Nina's mind screamed. _Jesus, it's huge! It's almost as big as Zeit's... How the hell is this possible?_

Something hit her.

At first, Nina wasn't even sure of what happened. It occurred so fast.

She felt two of her ribs break, as her feet left the floor. Blown back by the sheer force, she annihilated a number of structures behind her. Four deep gashes opened over her torso, as the material of her uniform was torn to ribbons. Blood trailed behind her, flowing out of her wounds and beading in the corners of her mouth.

Avian eyes whirled in their sockets and locked on to a bright white blur streaking towards her. Her pupils dilated rapidly as the image reflected in her eye came into sharp focus.

Grimmjow's appearance was different from before.

The emerald markings previously bordering his eyes had spread down his cheeks, and across his forehead, in several thick and sharp points. His irises had turned bright green, while his sclera changed to a bright and luminous blue. Fixed to the bottom half of his face like a muzzle was half of a bone-like mask, taking on the appearance of the bottom jaws and nose of a large predatory feline.

His torso and arms remained relatively unchanged from his Ressurreción, the only exception being the area around his navel. Bordering his Hollow Hole light blue fur, that matched the hair on his head, extended out and down, covering the entirely of his legs. Darkening gradually as it progressed down, by the time the fur reached his feline feet it was entirely black.

Raising his left hand, the ends of his black fingers were tipped with bright silver, hooked claws.

_What is this?!_ Nina thought. _A second transformation?! That's impossible! Arrancar shouldn't have another form!_

As the former Espada slashed out with his lifted appendage, ethereal energy claws gouged through the battlefield, directly towards Nina.

Hurriedly beating her wings, in an attempt to dodge the attack, the bird-like woman tried to escape skyward. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side. The edge of the attack gashed her along the right calf, severing one of the tendons. Soaring upwards, she cried out in pain as her leg was left dangling and useless.

Lifting her right arm, Nina rapidly twisted the joint of her wrist and clenched her fist. The spirals of airborne blood, still twirling about where she had previously floated, dispersed into thousands of needle-like droplets just as Grimmjow, moving in a linear fashion, arrived in their midst.

Swarming around the advancing Arrancar, they shot inwards in a dense rain of projectiles. Unfortunately, Grimmjow was barely phased. Bouncing and ricocheting off of his bolstered Hierro in a blaze of orange sparks, the blood drops didn't even so much as nick him.

Ignoring the attack, Grimmjow stopped himself suddenly, gouging trenches into the ground with the heels of his feet. Bending his body forwards, he thrust his arms out and dug his fingers into the concrete of the street. Bending the joints and wrenching his arms upwards, he tore a massive slab of the road up and threw it straight at Nina.

Dodging the retaliatory attack, Nina's wings beat heavily from her back, blasting shockwaves of air down towards the ground.

Whipping her body around, as she evaded, the Sternritter spread her wings wide. Flapping them once, in a single powerful motion, she fired dozens of her feathers down towards her enemy in a dense white rain.

Grimmjow didn't hesitate for a second. Cupping both of his hands at his sides, he thrust both arms towards the oncoming attack. Twin Ceros, both royal blue, screamed through the air and vaporised the feathers.

Nina dodged the blasts, soaring through the air until she had the rising red sun at her back.

_This should at least confuse his vision,_ she thought. _I don't know what the hell that form is, but I can't let him hit me again. It's too dangerous._

On the ground, Grimmjow had already managed to spot her. Rearing his head back, he opened his mouth and bared his jagged teeth.

Noting the motion, a current of fear coursed through Nina's body.

_This does not bode well..._

As he roared, the sound wave released was so monstrous that it swept the Sternritter away. Her body began to vibrate from the extreme force as she tumbled through the air; the wings adorning her back all but useless.

_Damn it!_ she thought, as she was carried by the force of the shockwave. _Why is he so strong?_

* * *

Kisuke Urahara once again clashed weapons with Kirio Hikifune. The edge of his Shikai ground against the side of her oversized spatula.

So far, he had spent the majority of the battle on the offensive. It would be in his best interests to end the fight quickly. Then he could provide assistance to his Sternritter ally and increase his odds of survival.

There was no way that an ordinary Sternritter could stand up to a member of the Shinigami Royal Guard.

Glaring from beneath the rim of his hat, Urahara switched his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakuto and span the blade sideways. Kirio's own weapon was knocked wide.

"Shibari."

Falling past Urahara, as if continuing the downward motion of a swing, the Royal Guard's overly large cooking implement was entangled in a web of black-red gelatinous threads. Ballooning from the intersecting pattern, orbs sprouted up, chemical fire bubbling up inside of them.

"Hiasobi, Benihime. Juzutsunagi."

A massive fiery explosion shot out diagonally from the side of the spatula. Blowing a hole through one of the walls of the cavernous chamber, the blast revealed the deep red of the morning sky. The weapon of Kirio Hikifune was blown in the opposite direction, spinning through the air before wedging into the opposite wall.

Kirio lifted one hand and pointed her palm towards Urahara. "Hadō #33: Sokatsui!"

The pale energy of the Kido parted around her opponent as Urahara summoned his Shield of Blood Mist. Deep red light glowed from in front of the former Captain and fell upon the rotund woman. The crimson glow reflected in her dilated pupil. A drop of sweat bounced down her wide cheek.

"Kirisaki Benihime."

Sharp red projectiles shredded the air as they launched from the front of his shield and headed directly towards the Royal Guard.

Jumping sideways, Kirio avoided the attack and took up a stance to Urahara's right.

Turning to face the woman, the former head of Research and Development narrowed his gaze and dispersed the shield. His Shikai was raised.

Suddenly noticing something, his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Well I'll be damned..." he muttered under his breath. "So he was that strong after all..."

* * *

_"I've removed the effects of six times gravity from you," Onmar said, looking his best friend up and down before taking a step back. "But you're not going to want to use this new speed unless you need to. It'll strain your body too much."_

_"So how do I keep it under control?" Sylvanus asked. "Do you have any tips?"_

_"No..." the strongest Sternritter replied slowly. "It takes years of training, and right now we don't have years. So..."_

_Removing his white military jacket, Onmar held the item out towards his friend. The numerous black buttons fixed to it swallowed the light of the moon._

_"Take this. And only take it off when you need to."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_Onmar smirked sadly. "Think of this like training weights." He tightened his grip on the fabric momentarily. "T-6."_

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) threw off Onmar's jacket, from his position crouched halfway up one of the enormous walls of the Wahrwelt.

Falling through the air, it landed on the ground below with a deafening explosion. A crater extended out from beneath the fabric.

Senjumaru Shuutara's eyes snapped open wide in shock and dismay.

_He's been fighting me this whole time carrying that much weight?_

Suddenly, her mind instinctively flashed back to the last Quincy that she had fought. The man who had soundly defeated both herself and Kirio simultaneously. The man that moved so fast that she couldn't even see him twitch. The man who could control gravity.

_Was this your doing?_

Sylvanus kicked off from the wall so hard that he levelled the structure. The air from his Tornado abilities spurring him on, he moved at such high speed that he all but vanished.

A sonicboom blasted through the area as he broke the sound barrier.

Launching her needles and thread out towards him, she expected the grey haired Sternritter to come straight towards her. To capitalise on his sudden boost in speed by smashing through her defences.

Her attack found nothing but empty air.

As he reached a point no more than twenty feet away from the woman, Sylvanus suddenly changed his trajectory. Forming a platform midair, out of solidified reishi, he kicked off sideways and dodged the attack.

From that point on, he started to circle her.

Around and around he went, feet flashing over the floor as he went. He was moving so fast that he completely disappeared from view. All that remained were the air currents.

Outside of his Vollständig, Sylvanus' control of the air was typically only limited to the immediate vicinity around him. However, moving at this speed, that was all he needed.

If he could control the air around him, while moving as fast as he was, he could do it. Unleash the technique that he had spent years trying to perfect.

A whirlwind was whipped up, circling Shuutata. Currents of air roared around her, tearing at her clothes and tugging her hair. Taking a breath, she attempted to get her bearings.

Except that she couldn't take a breath.

So strong were the currents around her, so fast were they moving, that all of the oxygen around her was being sucked away and dispersed skyward.

Her enemy was trying to create a vacuum.

_So that's his trick. Fine. If this is how he wants to do things, then I'll stop him with my hands._

The joints of her ceramic limbs clacked together as they reached out into the World. They made for Sylvanus, aiming to lay themselves upon him. To stop him in his tracks and stop the trap of air.

Unfortunately, the porcelain appendages found nothing but empty air. They were unable to touch his body; passing straight through as if he wasn't even there.

Shuutara's eyes opened wide in dismay.

_You said your arms can touch anything with a physical form,_ Sylvanus thought, watching her as he continued to circle the woman at impossible speeds. _Well that's exactly what I can lose, when I activate my Tornado ability. For a moment, I'm able to merge with the air itself and become intangible. If you had seen my battle with Captain Nine, down on the ground, you would have known. But you've been hiding up here in the Palace this whole time._

Faster and faster he moved. Before long, not a single ounce of oxygen remained inside his whirlwind.

But that still wasn't enough. The a Royal Guard had a stronger constitution than anyone he had ever seen before. And before long she would break out of the tornado.

_So..._ he thought. _Now I have to use it._

Digging his feet into the ground, he stopped himself shock still. One hand shot up to the necklace draped around his neck and gripped a point that he had never before grasped during the entirety of the war.

_I know how vacuums work... Whenever the closed system is compromise, everything is sucked in. Which means all of the oxygen that I've pulled out will go back in... Unless I replace it with something else. That's where this ability comes in._

He snapped off the silver point.

_Out in the open, this power is pretty useless... I haven't been able to use it because the conditions weren't just right. This is the chance that Onmar gave me. To finally unleash it... The Limnic Eruption._

A blast of gas erupted from every pore on his body, only to be sucked directly towards Shuutara as the air currents faded and the vacuum was broken.

_That's concentrated CO2,_ Sylvanus thought. _And with all other gasses removed from the system, you're going to be breathing in nothing but that._

He remembered his time as a surgeon. Of his studies when he was still trying to get his medical license.

_Unconscious in four seconds... Dead in fifteen._

The Royal Guard collapsed, her eyes bugging out of her head and choking breaths wracking her body. Then she started to fit.

Before long, Senjumaru Shuutara was dead.


	88. G is for

**Chapter 87: G is for...**

_"A gun?"_

_"That's right," the man said, smiling as he pressed the weapon into his palm. "You know how to use one, right?"_

_Onmar Gunther eyed the man hesitantly, through bright lime eyes. After a moment, he glanced down at his hand and swallowed a breath. Slowly, he started to nod._

_"Good," he grinned, releasing the gun and stepping back. Still smiling, he watched as the young man tucked it under his belt. "So we're clear on the plan?"_

_Again, Onmar took a second to himself. "Yes."_

_"You don't talk very much, do you?"_

_Scratching at the side of his short black hair, he moved his tongue around his mouth. Opening his mouth as if to talk, he suddenly thought better of it and shook his head slowly._

_"Come on," the man laughed, clapping one hand onto Onmar's shoulder and steering the boy through the door to their right. "It'll be over faster than you think."_

_"I do this..." Onmar began, looking up at his associate. "And you'll let them go?"_

_"Onmar, Onmar..." he grinned. "Do I look like the kind of guy that would go back on a deal?"_

Yes,_ Onmar thought, bluntly._

_The man was an individual best regarded with an air of caution. An upper echelon member of a local street gang, he was known for being unpredictable. Even in their seemingly casual conversation, Onmar noted that he kept one hand in his pocket, gripping the handle of a switchblade._

_"Listen," the man said. "You're getting off really light, if you ask me. Stealing from us usually ends with kids like you losing fingers. Or worse."_

_Onmar flexed his fingers at his side, in response to the statement. Relief plucked at his chest. The last thing he wanted was to lose his digits._

_Having grown up on the streets, Onmar quickly discovered that survival relied on exploiting the finer points of bad behaviour. The majority of which required the use of fingers. And the man knew that._

_To pickpocket effectively, you needed speed and dexterity. Both of which Onmar had in spades. He was the best. The only reason he had been caught was because of the children._

_Teaching them was always going to be a risk. The problem was when they unknowingly stole from the gang members._

_Initially, Onmar considered fighting them. Using the skills he had aquired in the bare-knuckle fighting rings to beat his way through the gang and get the kids out._

_The problem was when he arrived and realised that he was hopelessly outnumbered._

_Thus, he agreed to run a job for them. His payment would be the release of the children._

_But..._

_He didn't like associating himself with gang members. Working for them was even worse. It was always something that, despite growing up on the streets, he swore he would never do._

_And he didn't like the fact that he would be starting now._

* * *

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) reached the base of the Wahrwelt's central fortress. Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu was already more than two thirds of the way up.

And... Echoing in the distance, he could feel it. The Reiatsu of Sylvanus Athala (The Nature).

His best friend was still alive.

Better than just alive, he was winning. Against the former Shinigami Royal Guard.

A swell of pride momentarily rose up in Onmar's chest. Soon, however, it was banished by an uncomfortable and sad feeling.

Shaking his head, Onmar narrowed his dull green eyes and began to crouch. Tensing all of his muscles simultaneously, the Gravity Nodes set into his torso and arms glittered bright purple.

"T-0."

Kicking off from the ground with all of his might, his weightless form rocketed towards the top of the castle. The sound of a thunderclap shook the area and echoed off of the pure white walls, as he broke the sound barrier.

* * *

_From the day I was born, everything in the world looked mechanical. Stiff and bound by logic. Black and white. An eternal greyscale._

_All the way up until it happened._

_There was never any colour, before I changed._

_The waves crashing against the shore, the chipped paint clinging to the sides of the fishing boats, the light glimmering from the scales of the fish dragged in by the nets. Not a single colour to be seen._

_No imagination; no fantasy._

_Form and function._

_Grey._

_My parents were always very sickly. Frail. It was an illness that spread through the villages when I was young. While they survived, it took a lot out of them, and they couldn't work much after that._

_So my brother had to take on the responsibility. Go out and work to support the family. He had to look after all of us._

_I loved my brother._

_He was the most caring and wonderful person in the world. He would sing to me while I drifted off to sleep. A song that the sailers used to call out as they set out on the water. Sung from the perspective of a young woman, who's love was heading out to sea. The tune and melody calmed me and settled my thoughts._

_He had a wonderful voice._

_My brother was my whole world. The most important thing to me._

_That's why... When I lost him... It was the most painful moment of my life._

_That was the moment that I became hollow. When I started looking for something to fill the empty hole that had opened up inside me._

_I can still remember it. How it happened. What I saw. Even to this day it haunts me._

_Since then, I found comrades; friends. People who would be with me. People who could joke and take care of me._

_There was even someone special. Someone who meant so much more than the rest. Who helped me every step of the way, and asked for nothing in return. They were like a brother to me._

_But even in spite of that, I couldn't forget what had happened to my brother. I couldn't just give up my feelings._

_Finding colour only made it worse._

_It was painfully bittersweet._

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki, still charging up the stairs of the Wahrwelt could feel the clashes of power coming from ahead of him. Moving as fast as he could, he attempted to discern exactly who it was locked in combat.

_Kisuke and Ukitake..._ he thought. _And someone I don't know. But this doesn't make sense. It feels like their fighting... The Royal Guard? What the hell is going on?_

His orange hair whipping around his head as he ran, Ichigo sped up his pace. He needed to reach Yhwach. To avoid further conflicts along the way. Engaging in any sort of fight before entering the Quincy King's throne room would be a detriment.

Expending any strength at all was dangerous. He needed everything he could afford if he was to take down Yhwach.

In a perfect world, he would have been able to find Orihime and Ganju before entering the immense fortress. Their abilities would have proved useful in the coming battle. Especially Orihime's powers. Back when they had confronted Yhwach, when he had first killed the Soul King, he had seemed unable to understand her powers. And Ichigo saw that as an incredibly good thing.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

The impossibly dense reishi Yhwach had scattered around the Soul Palace had left him unable to detect all but the most monstrous and dense Reiatsu. Finding Orihime and Ganju would be like trying to find a single drop of rain in a maelstrom.

If they hadn't been killed.

Ichigo quickly banished the thought from his mind. He couldn't afford to think like that. As far as he was concerned, his friends were all alive and well. Safe.

He glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye at Chad. The fact that his best friend was there with him was comforting. It had been too long since he had been stood side by side with him.

For the longest time, he felt as if Chad had been trailing behind. Trying to catch up to him. But... After the incident with Ginjo, he realised that he was wrong. Chad was strong. And after his training with Urahara in Hueco Mundo, he had become even stronger. Ichigo could feel it. A deep well of power dwelling inside his friend.

They entered a long, high entryway. The tunnel of stone was massive, the ceiling high and the path incredibly wide. Bordering the hallway, dozens of humongous statues took up residence. At least twenty feet tall, with spears as even taller, they were faceless and all bore Quincy crosses dangling from the fronts of their heads.

Ichigo momentarily paid mind to them, but quickly dismissed the figures.

All of a sudden, he felt a rough grip against his Shihakusho. Chad grabbed him by the arm and pulled him backwards. Roughly jerking from the force, Ichigo fell back and lost his footing.

Where he had previously been stood, the ground was caved in. One of the statues had come to life and swung its enormous spear down at the Substitute Shinigami.

"What the-?"

Ichigo never got to finish his sentence. Neon green Bringer Light circled Chad's feet, and within a moment he was gone. The rumble of rubble shook the air.

One by one, every statue in the massive corridor was systematically smashed to pieces.

Landing back down on the ground, several hundred feet in front of the orange-haired boy, Chad turned back to face Ichigo. His right arm had grown and bore a number of black and purple markings, a shield extending off of his forearm, while Chad's left arm had turned pure white; a prominent spike protruding from his shoulder and tracing a deep red line down the length of the limb.

A smile hooked the corner of Chad's mouth. "You need to save your strength for Yhwach. Right?"

Ichigo returned the smile with a warm expression and nodded.

He didn't need to say anything. He had been right. Chad was strong. Strong enough to hold his own, even in all of the chaos around them.

Another blast of power, from the clashes ahead, shook the hallway and reverberated from the walls. The shards of rock that littered the floor vibrated from the force.

"We can't keep heading this way," Ichigo said, slowly. "We can't afford to get caught up in that before reaching Yhwach..."

"So what now then?" Chad asked. "This is the only path leading up to the top layer."

Ichigo walked over to one of the narrow windows, to his right, and stuck his head out. Arching his neck, he looked up and smirked. "Simple. We climb."

* * *

_"Through the window?"_

_"Well there ain't really another way to climb into a building, is there?" the man laughed, shoving Onmar's shoulder as they sat in the car._

_Onmar swallowed once and said nothing. Peering out of the tinted window, he stared down the street at the building on the far left. By all right and logic it looked like a normal structure. A townhouse over a grocery store._

_But he knew that wasn't actually the case._

_"That should be pretty easy for you, right?" the man continued, raising an eyebrow mockingly. "I mean, you're used to breaking in to places and taking things that aren't yours, right?"_

_Without a word, Onmar opened the door of the car and stepped out. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his heavy jacket, he could feel the cold lump of the gun._

_Behind him, the man called after him in a hushed tone. "Hey! You better not fuck this up! Remember what happens if you do!"_

_Turning halfway to the side, the black-haired youth glared sidelong at the gang member. "I know."_

_Slipping into an alleyway leading off of the sidewalk, Onmar vanished into the shadows._

_He was already planning the route in his head. It would be just like any other job that he ran: Use the back alleys to circle in behind the building; watch the windows for a few hours to spot any patterns in movement; climb up the guttering and through the window of a back room._

_If they were anything like the other gangs that he had robbed from, then these men would keep their Gear in one of the back rooms. All he needed to do was take enough to put a dent in their funds. Redistribute the assets to the men that held the children hostage._

_If he was quiet, then nobody would notice him. And then nobody had to get hurt._

_He was confident that he could go unnoticed._

* * *

_My brother would always wear brightly coloured shirts. At least that's what he always told me. To me, they just seemed like lighter shades of grey._

_Still, that's the main thing that sticks in my mind when I think about him. His fondness for bright colours._

_He would always say the he wished that I could see them. See the same beautiful colours as him._

_Purple was his favourite. Endless hours were spent with him trying to describe it. At the time, I couldn't really understand what he meant. But I listened. Because I loved watching his face light up as he talked. Because I loved how much he cared and wanted me to understand why he loved it._

_When I found out that my brother had started working for a gang, it broke my heart. He was always so pure. So safe. So wonderfully innocent, when he was with me._

_I knew that the only reason he would work for them was to help pay off our parents' medical bills._

_But that didn't make it any easier._

_Every time he would leave the house, I was worried. So wound up with emotion that I felt like I was going to be sick. I was terrified that he was going to get hurt. Or worse._

_He would disappear a lot. For a few days at a time. That only made it worse._

_Whenever he left, I was terrified that he would be hurt. It was practically all I could think about, until he returned. But he always came back; tired and with a smile on his face._

_And I couldn't stay angry at him. Because I was so relieved that he was back._

_Before long I would forget what it was like when he was gone. I'd smother myself in the comfort that he brought, forgetting about everything else._

_Until he left again._

_The last time... He vanished for an entire week._

_That was when I decided to go out and look for him._

* * *

Onmar passed by the top layer of the Wahrwelt, tracing a fine arc into the deep red morning sky. Looking down at the castle, so very alike to the one at the centre of the Silbern, he narrowed his gaze.

"T-8."

Dropping out of the air like a stone, he slammed into the bordering walkway with so much force that the white rock shattered.

Tilting his head to the side, Onmar cracked the joints in his neck. As he did so, the chiseled muscles of his shoulders and neck rippled.

A brief glance around revealed to him that there was nobody in the immediate vicinity. However, there was something strange going on. Something incredibly out of place.

Ever since Yhwach had remodelled the Soul Palace into His Wahrwelt, the temperature drop had left Onmar with a plaguing sense of discomfort. He hated the cold. He always had done and he always would do.

The fact that this new environment was so persistently and unshakably cold that he had to constantly fight off the urge to shiver.

Which is why the immense heat radiating off the side of the Palace was so bizarre.

Momentarily abandoning his search for Ichigo Kurosaki, Onmar traversed the walkway around the edge of the fortress, in an attempt to locate the source of the strangely extreme heat. What he found stunned him to the point that he had to take a step back.

* * *

_The boy in front of Onmar blinked twice before pulling out the knife._

_He hadn't expected anyone to be in the room. After a number of hours watching the window, he thought he had the occupants' schedule down to a science. But one thing Onmar didn't account for would be that there had been someone sat in the back room the whole time. The movements of the other individuals must have been to check up on him._

_His reflexes kicking into overdrive, Onmar sidestepped the thrust and slammed the back of his fist into the young man's face in a sweeping strike. The boy fell sideways and crumpled in a heap on the floor._

_Expecting the young man to be knocked out by the blow, Onmar turned away for him and began to search for the drugs._

_A flash of silver in his peripheral caught his attention like a magnetic force. Eyes flashing back to his left, Onmar saw the knife rising._

_Lifting his left leg, he stomped down on the hand holding the blade, pinning the gang member's hand to the floor. As he did so, Onmar turned sideways and swung his right leg up, slamming his shin into the boy's face._

_Still, the young man's hand didn't let go of the knife._

_Rearing up his left arm, from his crouched position, the gang-member's hand was illuminated by bright white light._

Reishi?_ Onmar's brain screamed, stunned. _He's just like me...

_Stepping back, he allowed the blast of spiritual energy to pass him by._

So that's why they had you on guard duty,_ he thought. _I doubt they even know what it is, but if you can do stuff like that then no doubt you're an asset.

_As the small blast rumbled through the room, the young man's eyes opened wide in shock. He clearly had never encountered another Quincy before._

_Again, Onmar moved to kick him in the face, in an attempt to knock him out._

_The boy dodged. Lunging forwards, he ducked under the older man's leg and thrust both of his arms towards Onmar._

_Grasping his attacker around both wrists, Onmar was shocked by the sheer amount of strength the man possessed. It felt as if he was coming at him with all the force of an air compressor. Faltering for a second, he was pushed back._

_Arenaline flooded his system._

_Gritting his teeth, the green eyed man tightened his grip on his assailant's wrists and forced the young man back. Such force emerged from Onmar's arms and legs that it shocked even him._

_Breaking clean through the window, the two men tumbled through the air, locked in combat._

_Onmar landed beneath the boy._

_But something was strange. The strength that the gang member had come at him with was gone. His wrists, still clasped by Onmar, had become limp._

_That was when he noticed the blood, pooling on top of him._

_So preoccupied was he with turning the end of the knife away from him, Onmar had pushed it back towards his adversary._

_A crawling sensation, moving at the speed of light, raced from the knife, still embedded in the boy's chest, and settled on Onmar's hands. His lip began to quiver and tears filled his eyes._

_Onmar had never killed anyone before._

_And he was terrified._

_Moving slowly, he pushed the boy off of him and unsteadily rose to his feet. An odd detail to focus on, he noticed the glimmer of the young man's Quincy Cross, poking out from beneath his left sleeve._

_Grasping his opposing arm, Onmar fought back the urge to be sick. Regret and horror flowed through his system, searing his never endings like acid._

_He wanted to apologise to the boy. As ridiculous as it sounded to talk to a corpse, he felt like it would help him somehow atone for ending his life._

_A shout erupted from the overlooking apartment, as the other occupants rushed into the room._

_Moving automatically, he lurched down and snatched the Cross from the felled man's wrist._

_Then he ran._

* * *

_I don't know how long I walked the streets for._

_I covered almost the entire town looking for my brother. From the docks, all the way into the town centre._

_Everybody I asked about the gang all told me the same thing: To go home and stop looking for him. That it was dangerous. That I wouldn't like what I found._

_But I didn't listen. I just wanted to find my brother. To make sure that he was safe._

_It was a little girl who told me that she had seen my brother. Going into a grocery store down by the market._

_When I saw the ambulance lights I felt like my heart was about to stop. My breath hitched and I think my legs even gave out._

_I saw them wheeling him out of the back on a stretcher. Even as far away as I was, I could tell that he was dead._

_In that moment, my grey and mechanical world was swallowed by darkness. Even the gears of life stopped moving._

_It was still, quiet and suffocating._

_I don't remember much of what happened next. I couldn't tell you anything about what was going on around me. Everything was a blur._

_What I can remember is a voice._

_Yhwach's voice. Telling me to follow him. That if I followed him, then I could find the person that killed my brother. That I would have a place where I belonged._

_And so I did. And when I did, I changed._

_I was able to turn thing into glass. To transform everything I touched so that it matched the way that I felt inside. Fragile and brittle._

_For the first time in my life, I could see colours._

_That was when I finally understood why my brother loved the colour purple._

_I looked in the mirror and I saw it. The colour of my eyes._

_Purple._

_And it was the most beautiful, most bittersweet and painful thing I had ever seen in my life._

* * *

_**"Um... Hey. I'm new here, and I just...- What's your name?"**_

_**"Aya... What's yours?"**_

_**"Onmar. And your letter?"**_

_**"I'm S... How about you."**_

_**"I got G. I dunno, it might be fitting. I mean, I was in a gang once... Well, kind of."**_

_**"Oh."**_

_**"Hey, wait, where are you going?"**_

_**"I hate gangs... Listen. Don't ever talk to me again. Okay?"**_

* * *

Onmar took a step back and inhaled sharply.

Nestled in the middle of a glowing crater of melted rock, curled into a vulnerable ball, was Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass).

When she had activated her Vollständig, he momentarily transformed herself into a beam of highly concentrated light. It enabled her to escape the falling wreckage of the Wahrwelt, as it dived down into open sky. She had literally moved at the speed of light. A side effect was the heat. Burning white hot, she had seared through the air and slammed into the side of the Central Palace. She carried so much heat with her that she had melted the stone at her point of impact.

However, Onmar was unaware of this. Moving forwards, he reached out to touch her, to check that she was still breathing.

The moment his hand came in contact with the skin of her neck, searing pain gripped his fingertips.

She was still red hot.

"Damn..." he hissed between his teeth.

Looking around, he checked the area quickly before looking down at the girl.

"How the hell did you get here?" Swallowing once, he narrowed his eyes and began to flit his gaze around the surroundings.. "Shit... I can't just leave her here. It's like a god damn war zone out here. She could get killed. But how can I-?"

His sentence stopped short.

He had spotted it. A flash of orange.

Ichigo Kurosaki was climbing the building, not one hundred feet parallel from him.

This was his chance. If he killed the boy now, he could end the war.

But...

He looked down at Aya one final time.

And he noticed it.

The Quincy Cross draped around her wrist.

It was partially hidden by the hem of her glove, but even then it was unmistakable.

It was identical to the one he was wearing.


	89. The Eleventh Hour

**Chapter 88: The Eleventh Hour**

_**I can remember my own birth.**_

_**Although I doubt the word birth is really an appropriate term.**_

_**Contextually speaking, one minute I wasn't there, and then the next I was.**_

_**Such was the case with everything else.**_

_**Some theorised that it was all built around me. Others that I was created from it all. Personally, I like to believe that we came into existence at the same instance. It fits better that way. Especially considering how things stand now. One cannot exist without the other.**_

_**Before long, they started to arrive. The Souls.**_

_**All of them bore abstract anomalies. Defects to their identities. Yet I did not judge them for it. They were everything that they were meant to be. Nothing more and nothing less.**_

_**And they all shared one fundamental singularity. An infallible detail of self: "I think, therefore I am." The one universal truth.**_

_**But then, how does that apply to me? I have often wondered this.**_

_**For when I think, they are.**_

_**I suppose that means that we are connected; them and I.**_

_**I am connected to everything that was and ever will be. I am the beginning and the end; the universe and God Himself. I am all and I am one.**_

_**And so, of course, this also means that I am You.**_

_**Isn't that right, Yhwach?**_

_**Dead though I may be, that doesn't exactly mean that I am gone, does it My Son? You more than anyone should understand that dead and gone are not synonymous with each other.**_

_**Your forces decimated by the Gotei, your Vanguard slaughtered, your body reduced to ashes by Genryusai.**_

_**Yes, I know. I know all.**_

_**I know that, despite your death, your existence persisted.**_

_**I know because I was the one that sealed you. I cleaved off my own limbs and cast them into the World for the sole purpose of containing you.**_

_**Yet even then, you managed to return.**_

_**Though I would expect no less from one who contains a fraction of my essence. We are not so easily disposed of, You and I.**_

_**More than return, you far exceeded my expectations. Yes, you walked through my protection and even managed to assimilate me.**_

_**There is almost a sense of poetic irony to it. After all of my talk about how I am All, and thus by extension You, it is now You that is Me.**_

_**I can understand why you did it. The curse of Giving is a terrible burden. I believe that's why you so desperately wanted to take.**_

_**I never intended for you to be able to steal reishi. You gave yourself that power. And gave it to so many others. Even to my left hand; that which I used to create you.**_

_**So tell me, my son. Now that you have taken Everything, how does it feel to shoulder the weight of the World?**_

_**Does it exceed your wildest imagination? The power to transform the future.**_

_**Viewing it is inconceivable enough. Perceiving every possible instant of every conceivable reality is like trying to pick out individual grains of sand in the ocean bed. It would surely drive any normal man mad.**_

_**But altering the course of fate itself? Such was my duty and burden for as long as reality existed. And now it shall be yours.**_

_**I wonder.**_

_**Will you squander its power for trivial actions? Will you only find use in crushing your opposition?**_

_**I look forward to seeing how all of this will end.**_

_**Your angels, the wax wings on which you reached me, are already beginning to fall. Melting now that you have consumed the sun.**_

_**Will you follow suit and plunge to earth alongside them?**_

_**I can't wait to see.**_

* * *

Nina Redwing (The Blood) desperately tried to fight back against the Arrancar, yet no matter what she tried, her attacks constantly came up short. Even as powerful as she was, in her Vollständig, nothing that Nina threw at the former Espada even managed to knick his Hierro.

The strange transformation was monstrously powerful.

_But..._ Nina thought, squinting her avian eyes past the pain that was wracking her body. _That's got to take some kind of toll on him. There's no way that he could gain such a massive boost without some kind of rebound._

Grimmjow Jeaggerjaquez launched himself off of the ground with so much force that the street cratered beneath him, and lifted both of his hands. Splaying the jagged claws on his fingers, he roared as the sharp teeth of his half-mask parted.

As the tapered tips of the claws dug into her arms, Nina's bird-like eyes shot open wide. She could tell what the Hollow was trying to do. He was attempting to rip her arms off.

Forming a spike of reishi onto the tip of her combat boot, Nina arched her leg upwards and kicked him in the gut.

Gagging from the blunt trauma, but thankfully saved from the stab by his iron skin, Grimmjow released the girl.

Beating her wings, Nina slammed a shockwave of air into her opponent and retreated. White reishi feathers trailed in her wake.

_It'll be to my advantage to play the long game,_ she thought. _Hang back and wait for the recoil to hit him. But he's way too fast. I'd just as likely be killed if I were to do that. So I need to find a way to damage him. Find a chink in the armour. All I need is one cut. One cut and I can kill him and win._

Four streaks of blue energy slashed through the air towards the bloodstained Quincy. Dipping to the side, she attempted to avoid the attack. Again not quite fast enough, her left arm was caught in the attack. The muscle snipped by the slash, it hung limply by her side, matching her disabled leg.

She could already smell her flesh beginning to sizzle, from the hollow poisoning.

_Come on. Think of something!_

_"And here I thought you were supposed to be some kind of genius."_

The voice slipped through her mind, as clear as day. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought the owner was standing right behind her. But that was impossible. Because the voice's owner was already long dead.

_"Do you really mean to tell me that the girl I fell for can't think of anything?"_ the voice of Eric Koertig (The Reaper) asked.

The large eyes set into her bird-like face began to glimmer with tears.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the voice, Nina lifted her right hand and sent a spiral of blood rushing through the air towards Grimmjow. The Arrancar easily dodged it, landing at least a dozen feet to his left.

Behind him, leaning against a dilapidated wall, was a man clad in a pure white trench coat. His form shimmered every so slightly in the morning light. A sad smile tugged at his lips.

_No,_ Nina's mind begged. _Not now. Please, not now._

_"But it had to be now,"_ Eric replied. _"And it had to be us."_

Not questioning the plural, Nina was too preoccupied with dodging the attacks of her opponent.

_"I think we just need to give you a bit of a nudge,"_ another voice said, splitting the red-haired girl's mind.

In the corner of Nina's vision, Adelaid Gotshock (The Xylyl) appeared. Her bright blue hair was tussled by the wind, and a sad light caught her eyes.

_This isn't real,_ Nina's brain persisted. Gritting her teeth, she tried to rid herself of the visions. _They're dead. They're both dead._

_"Do you really think that would stop me?"_ Eric asked. _"And besides..."_ he began.

_"Your reason to live was to go back down below, and bury us. Right?"_ Adelaid completed.

This time Nina answered out loud. "Y-yes... But..."

A deep gash suddenly opened across her cheek. Grimmjow, pointing one finger forwards, had fired out one of his claws straight towards her head. Nina had only just about managed to dodge a fatal shot.

_"But nothing,"_ a third voice arose. _"I don't remember raising you to give up on your promises."_

At this point, Nina started to shake. Her bottom lip quivered and tears poured out from beneath the feathers that covered the top half of her face.

Her older brother Cain placed one hand against her shoulder.

_"So you're going to find away to beat him, right?"_

_"Yeah,"_ Eric called towards her. _"If anyone can find a weak spot on him, it's you."_

"But I can't see any-" she began, before her brother's calming voice cut her off.

He spoke the same words as he had done at the lake. When he was teaching her how to shoot.

_"That's your problem. Don't rely on your eyes. Feel the reishi in the air."_

_He's right!_ she thought. _If there's one thing my Vollständig enhances, it's my vision. So that's the trap. I need to feel him. Feel his weak points!_

_"You're a Quincy,"_ Cain reiterated. _"And what do Quincy do best?"_

Nina shut her eyes and lifted her right hand. Reishi burst out luminous white from her wrist, into the shape of a longbow.

_"Yeah, Nina,"_ Eric asked. _"What do Quincy do best?"_

A bloody smile gripped Nina's lips. "Shoot."

In an instant, her wings and avian features vanished. All of the reishi that formed her Vollständig was rapidly compressed into a single, incredibly dense, Heilig Pfeil.

Dropping out of the air like a stone, she loosed the arrow.

It split the sky in a narrow beam of light; the scream from its tail end wailing through the Wahrwelt in a piercing shriek.

The projectile moved so fast that Grimmjow, even in the form of his Segunda Etapa, had no time to react. It slammed into his face, shocking the former Espada's head back so forcefully that the disks in his neck almost cracked.

Protruding from his left eye socket, the arrow stuck straight up into the air like an antenna.

Nina just about managed to see it before she hit the ground. Landing on her injured left leg, she felt her kneecap crack as the force of the landing shocked the joint stiff.

"I finally got you, you son of a bitch!" she ground out, through gritted teeth.

Hurriedly staggering to her feet, Nina splayed the fingers of her right hand.

Blood exploded into the sky, matching the shade of the rising sun.

Slowly, Nina's dark chocolate eyes moved downwards. Protruding from her chest was the wide tip of a lance. Once bright silver, the metal had been stained the same shade as her hair.

"Wh-... What...?"

Several hundred feet behind her, arm still outstretched from the throw, Neliel Tu Oderschvank breathed heavily through bloodstained lips. Still under the effects of Nina controlling her blood, and almost split in half by Grimmjow's Dessgaron, her whole body was trembling.

She had just barely managed to engage her Ressurreción.

Nina, her lungs ruined by her enemy's attack, choked on blood and lost her footing. Falling forwards, she landed face down in a pool of her own blood.

_Sorry..._ she apologised to her dead friends, as her mind started to cloud and fade. _I guess I couldn't... Return and bury you after all..._

Her fingertips started to twitch.

_But... I've still got control over both of the Arrancars' blood._

A hacking cough ripped through her body, as blood and vomit surged up what was left of her throat.

_They probably have friends... Just like me... But... I'm sorry... I can't forgive your for killing me. So I'm going to be leaving you something._

Simultaneously, Grimmjow and Nel collapsed to their knees, clutching their chests.

_If you survive these blood clots... I guess you deserved to live after all._

Nina Redwing's eyes rolled back in her head as death swallowed her. Soaking into the material of her uniform, her own blood mingled with Eric's.

* * *

**_"Now I think that it's time I gave it back. Because I think that it's the only thing that can end this war."_**

**_Stepping out of the shadows of the ruined battlefield, a young girl dressed in black pulled back the patch covering one side of her face. Reaching into the dark void beneath it, she withdrew an object, wrapped in paper talismans._**

**_"Kyoukotsu always has been a fan of hide and seek."_**

Even now, hours later, she could remember the moment it was handed over to her so vividly.

Holding the tightly wrapped package close to her chest, Nanao Ise moved quickly through the shadows of the Wahrwelt.

"I need to hurry..." she muttered under her breath. "I need to reach the summit. If I don't... If I don't get there in time... Everything will be lost. Dear god, I hope they haven't started killing each other yet."

"Don't worry," Ikkaku Madarame said, keeping his voice low, as he moved closer behind her. "If the Big Guy up there were fightin', I'm sure we'd know about it."

"He's right," Yumichika Ayasegawa added, the feathers decorating his eyes and hair catching the cool breeze of morning air. "Yes there is a lot of power being thrown around up there, but there's something else. I can smell it in the air... There's more to come. A lot more."

"You and your nose," Izuru Kira replied, gruffly. "I don't even know how the hell it works."

"But has he ever been wrong?" Ikkaku grinned.

"I guess not," Izuru muttered.

"Can you please keep it down," Nanao hissed back at her companions. "We can't afford to get found out now. If I'd have known you'd be this loud, I wouldn't have healed you."

"Technically, I was the one that healed them..." Hanataro Yamada began meekly, before his voice was eclipsed by Ikkaku's own hushed tones.

"You might have healed me, but that doesn't change the fact that it was your Captain's Bankai that nearly killed us in the first place!"

"Do you not think I know that?" Nanao shot back, sharply. Stopping in her tracks, she rounded back on the Third Seat. "He's nearly dead himself! And he's in much worse condition than you were! All that got reflected onto you were his initial wounds! He's still back there, being healed by the Twelfth Division! Do you not think that that says something, considering Hanataro and I were able to heal both ourselves and you all, to the point where we're all able to stand here?"

The outburst was so sudden and unlike the First Division Lieutenant that Ikkaku instinctively took a step back and shut up.

Flushing slightly, Nanao composed herself. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to snap like that..." She let out a long breath and stared down at the floor, through her large glasses. "I just... Last night was really tough..."

"It's okay," Izuru smiled weakly. "We understand. It's been rough for everyone."

All of a sudden, Hanataro stiffened. "Um, guys..."

"Yeah," Ikkaku said, ignoring Hanataro and regaining his grin. "Sorry for what I said before."

"Guys..."

Again ignoring the Third Seat of the Fourth Division, Yumichika laughed under his breath. "I can't believe you actually got Ikkaku to apologise."

"Guys...!"

Everybody simultaneously turned towards him. "What is it Hanataro?!" they all snapped.

Then they noticed him trembling. He raised one finger, and pointed down the length of the narrow corridor.

"Now this I did not expect..." a flat, calm voice echoed from behind the group. "You were not part of what I saw with The Almighty. Tell me... How did you manage to escape my gaze?"

Whipping their heads around, the Shinigami group laid eyes on the individual who had just spoken.

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa unfolded its arms, allowing the long white sleeves of the robe that it wore to trail down towards the floor. Lifting one hand, the pale creature removed the Kasa perched atop its head. Clear white eyes opened and fell upon the invaders.

"That object that you're holding," it questioned, directing the statement at Nanao. "Pray tell, what manner of thing is it?"

Nanao tightened her grip on the wrappings of what she held.

"Would I be right in assuming that it is divine in nature?"

The Lieutenant flinched.

"It appears that I am correct. So that was how you were able to escape the Eyes of a God."

Beraht took a step forwards and stretched out one milky hand.

"If you don't mind." It's expression remained unflinchingly still. "That object did not feature in any of the Futures that I foresaw. So would you please hand it to me? I wish to observe it, and ascertain its nature."

"Like we're falling for that!" Ikkaku shouted, lunging at the Sternritter and lifting Hozukimaru for a forward thrust.

Beraht barely moved. Lifting its left hand, the genderless individual gripped the tip of the blade between its middle and ring finger, stopping the attack inches from its face.

Eyes like white billiard balls gripped Ikkaku's own at the peculiar being began to recite something under its breath at a rapid pace.

_**"How the hell did he manage to grab my sword so easily? Just how strong is this guy? I've got to back up and- Wait? What the hell? Is he reading my mind? What the fu-?"**_

Just as Ikkaku realised that his own thoughts were being recited back to him, Beraht's right hand flashed up and smashed through the shaft of his Zanpakuto, breaking the bladed tip clean off.

Dropping the blade, Beraht returned its gaze towards the group. The tip of the Zanpakuto sunk into the ground with a dull 'thunk'.

"Please stand down and return from whence you came," Beraht said, an air of finality to its voice. "Or there will be violence."

Far from stepping down, however, the Shinigami moved into a single line formation and stared at the Quincy.

Nanao tightened her grip on the package that she carried. "We choose violence."

Beraht calmly readjusted his stance. And stood facing the Soul Reapers. "Then so be it. While I am incapable of killing, please rest assured that it is well within my capacity to use other means to stop you."

A strange sensation washed over the Gotei Officers. So far removed was it from the typical sensation of Reiatsu, it ceased to even feel like their enemy possessed any spiritual power whatsoever. Yet, at the same time, there was a bizarre expansiveness to the feeling. Like a vast untapped well.

For, while Beraht's Reiatsu was negligible, the sheer size of its Reiryoku was unfathomable.

"I hope that by the time we are through, you will have opened your eyes and found enlightenment," the Schutzstaffel stated, calmly. "Such is my purpose in life... To spread the Word of the Buddha and provide others with the path to Nirvana. I am Beraht Kailash Wakahisa, and I am Sternritter A: The Awakening."

* * *

Onmar Gunther (The Gravity)'s eyes locked onto the Quincy Cross, as his heart lurched.

The boy.

Images of his face flashed through Onmar's mind. They seared his nerve endings and burned themselves into his mind. Visions of the first person that he ever killed.

And Onmar could see it now. How much Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) looked like him. He couldn't believe that he had never realised it before.

He had murdered her brother.

A wave of regret slammed into him with the force of a tsunami. Even as strong as he was, he was nothing against the power of grief.

In that moment, he made up his mind.

_Kurosaki be damned, I'm getting you out of here. I am not going to let you die here._

Lunging forwards, he grasped Aya's unconscious form prepared to sling her up onto his back. Still red hot from her Vollständig, she burned his skin on contact, the foul scent filling the air.

Gritting his teeth, Onmar readied himself for the pain he would have to endure if she were to cover his back.

That was when the blast hit him.

Not expecting the sudden explosion, he tottered for a second and released his grip on the girl.

"So, you followed us here," Yasutora Sado said, breaking away from Ichigo mid-climb and launching another blast from his right fist towards the Schutzstaffel.

Onmar took the second hit without so much as flinching. His teeth still gritted, he hissed between them. "You don't understand... Don't make me do thi-"

Another explosion eclipsed his words.

"Run, Ichigo!" Chad shouted over his shoulder. "I won't be able to hold him for long, so get going! Go and defeat Yhwach and end this!"

The orange-haired Shinigami squared his jaw and hesitated for a second, before nodding. Departing for the throne room, he set off at a sprint.

Chad lifted both of his transformed arms and stared into the smoke left in the wake of his attack.

Onmar dispersed the haze with a wave of his hand. The tendons in his neck were raised and the Gravity Nodes decorating his body sparkled in the morning light.

"You don't want to do this!" Onmar called out, locking eyes with the large man. "Please..." His voice faltered slightly. "Please just stand aside."

Chad didn't move an inch. "I'm not letting you take one step away from here."

"Because you think I'm going to kill your friend?"

"No," the human replied, heavily. "Because I promised him. And if I can't keep a promise with my best friend, what kind of man am I?"

Alongside the visions of Aya's brother, a flash of Sylvanus' face flickered through Onmar's brain.

Increasing the pressure on his teeth, he shut his eyes in an attempt to force out the thoughts.

Again a shockwave of energy slammed into him. Again it had no effect.

"I am not moving," Chad reaffirmed, resolve glowing from his eyes. "And neither are you."

* * *

Ichigo reached the doors to the throne room alone. They loomed over him in imposing dominance.

Drawing his swords, Ichigo pressed forwards and kicked through the structures.

Sat in the centre of the cavernous room, at the top of a series of stairs, sat Yhwach. He who had consumed God. The top of His face was swathed in licks of angular shadow, and all around Him the darkness was alive with power.

"So it appears that Onmar has failed to impede your progress," Yhwach's booming voice echoed. "That foolish boy. It appears that he hasn't even so much as wounded you. Yes. It seems as if you are in prime condition to fight Me. And such confidence... To brazenly stride into My chamber, with no-one at your back. Ordinarily, I would call it arrogance, however... That is some fine Reiatsu that you are emanating. It is so strong, in fact, that it has even taken physical form around you."

Ichigo said nothing. Without a word, he began to stride forwards slowly, blades at his sides. His expression was hard as diamond. Clarity and determination dominated his gaze.

"So then, boy..." Yhwach continued. "Let us commence the final battle. The fate of the Universe will be decided now!"

* * *

_**[A/N: A massive thank you to everyone for all of your support, up until this point! Over a year and a half this passion project of mine has been going, and I'm so happy with the response from all of you and the fact that I've been able to entertain so many of you.**_

_**Just THREE CHAPTERS to go, and it will be over. Expect them out before the end of this month. I hope that they are everything that you want and more!**_

_**A big thank you and special shout out goes out to darkbeetlebot, for their amazing help with their character Beraht. They will be assisting me with the details and fine tuning of Its battle, for which I am extremely grateful. Go and send them some love by checking out their own stories, in particular their latest long-running Bleach Fic "**_**_Bleach - Kirai Yajirushi"._**

_**And continuing on the vein of promotion: I have started another long-running collaboration project, to take the place of Thousand Year Blood War, once it is completed, if any of you are interested on checking it out. You can find it on my profile under the name "Another Brick in the Wall."**_

_**Again, thank you all for such an amazing ride, and I hope you enjoy this final stretch!]**_


	90. Beyond the Event Horizon

**Chapter 90: Beyond the Event Horizon**

"Kamisori Benihime!" Kisuke Urahara shouted, launching a slash of bright red spirit energy towards Kirio Hikifune. The screaming sound similar to the launching of a firework filled the air.

Diving out of the way of the attack, Kirio snatch up her discarded spatula. Spinning it around in her hands, she straightened up and narrowed her eyes.

"I can't believe that I've been reduced to this..." she muttered. "But if anything, this at least shows that my replacement was worthy." In her hands, the silver implement started to glow. "Consume... Engemaru!"

A shockwave of spiritual energy rippled through the cavernous space. As it slammed into Urahara's front, he was forced to take a step back.

Her oversized eating utensil transformed in her hands. It morphed into a form much more like that of a standard Zanpakuto. Now mostly taking the shape of a straight blade, the foremost end of it curved backwards in a half-moon shape, similar to a sickle.

The pair once again came together, blades clashing against each other in a blaze of orange sparks.

"You think I'll give you time to use your Shikai ability?" Urahara asked, continuing his assault on the Royal Guard.

"Oh Kisuke..." Kirio mused. "You already have."

An explosion of purple spiritual energy blasted out of the edge of Kirio's blade, sending Urahara flying across the room. Slamming into the wall, the structure cracked behind his back.

"I'm sure you know exactly what Engemaru can do," Kirio stated, the weight slowly shedding from her body, until her rotund appearance was little more than a memory. A young and attractive woman, in robes four sizes too big, now stared down the former Captain.

Rising unsteadily to his feet, Urahara broke into a slight grin. "You're able to redirect energy. But... It seems that since you became a member of the Royal Guard, it's grown considerably." A dangerous light shone behind his eyes, glaring from beneath the shadow thrown by his hat. "You redirected the kinetic energy of my sword swings back at me."

Kirio smirked slightly.

"But..." Urahara mused. "If I remember correctly, you can only control the flow of power if the source is directly in contact with your sword. In which case..." His eyes quickly flicked over Kirio's shoulder. "Sylvanus."

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) came at Kirio's back so fast that he was all but invisible. Sparks of electricity trailed behind him in a static tail and blazed brilliantly from his eyes.

His fist collided with her shoulder in an explosion of bright white electricity.

Far from being damaged by the attack, however, Kirio retaliated. Allowing the force of the attack to turn her, she whipped around on the spot and raised her Zanpakuto. Chaining through her body, the static pulse of Sylvanus' attack was channeled into her blade and rebounded back at him through the motion of her swing.

Dipping his head to the side, the Quincy hurriedly dodged the bolt of electricity and passed the Royal Guard by. Landing next to Urahara, the soles of his combat boots dragged against the floor.

"It seems you were wrong," Kirio replied, turning back towards the pair. "I'm the Master of Grain. To control food is to control life. That which ensures its continuation is energy. As such, while using my Shikai, any energy taken into my body I am able to make malleable and work it into any form I desire."

"So most of our attacks are nice and useless..." Sylvanus ground out. "That's comforting to know." Turning one eye towards, his Shinigami comrade, he looked for a plan. "Any suggestions?"

Just as Urahara was about to respond, however, the ground began to quake. Tiles were shaken loose from the ceiling above them, and pillars around the enormous room started to topple.

Kirio and Sylvanus' attention both shifted upwards.

"How...?" Kirio whispered. "How did he manage to get to His Majesty without us noticing?"

Eyes opening wide, she suddenly attuned to something flying towards her. Lifting her sword to defend herself, she was shocked to discover that the substance was more like a liquid than anything else. Slipping around the blade of her sword, it splashed into her arms and covered her chest. Almost instantly, it started to stiffen.

"Wh-what the hell?" Kirio stammered out, desperately trying to move her arms. "What is this?"

"A fail safe," Urahara smiled, dropping a test tube to the ground, where it immediately shattered. "You probably already guessed this, but I've planned out a number of different defensive strategies against all of the current Captains and their Zanpakuto. So of course I had some for the Royal Guard as well..." He lifted one hand and pointed towards the woman, her movements still restricted by the rubber-like substance. Her hands and forearms were pinned to her chest. "That particular concoction is something I developed from the saliva of a particular Ajuchas Menos. Think of it like a type of biological glue; it bonds and assimilates to organic tissue. Once it hardens and forms itself, you won't be able to move at all. Even if you try to break it with physical force, the most you'll accomplish is tearing away your muscle tissue. So... If you want to keep your arms, stay right where you are."

Kirio continued to fight against the restraints before crying out in pain. Baring her teeth, she hissed between them.

"For you who is able to redirect the flow of energy, restricting your movements is an apt strategy, don't you think?" Urahara asked, smiling, as he readjusted his hat.

Sylvanus looked over at his new comrade and blinked twice. A dumbfounded expression passed across his face. _Thank god he's on our side..._

The sound of an explosion suddenly filled the room. Blown clear across the empty space, Jushiro Ukitake was catapulted away from his battle with The Left Arm.

His arm was broken in four places, as if it had been twisted and contorted in various different directions, and a deep gash was opened on the left side of his forehead. The blood had already started to clot in his white hair.

Hurrying over towards him, Nemu, still carrying Matsumoto on her back, pulled out a tiny syringe. Dropping the unconscious Lieutenant, she drew a blade from her waist and, without so much as a word, sliced off the Captain's arm. Following up quickly from this, she injected the Hojikuzai into Ukitake's stump and watched as he screamed in pain; a new limb growing to replace the one she had removed.

Moving fast, Sylvanus and Urahara took up defensive stances between the wounded Captain and their enemy.

Staggering forwards, hand jutting perversely out of its severed neck, Ohetsu Nimaya lumbered towards them on unsteady legs.

"Shouldn't one of us be going after the other guy?" Sylvanus whispered through gritted teeth, stealing a glance over towards Hyousube Ichibei.

"No," Urahara replied, flatly. "I've been watching him during our battles. He seems listless and hesitant. Almost like he wants to step in but can't... My guess is that Yhwach did something to him when they fought. He obviously can't use his powers right now. If he could, I dare say he would have interfered when you killed his comrade. So as things stand, he's not a threat. That being said..." He narrowed his eyes towards The Left Arm. "This thing very much is. Captain Ukitake is no pushover, and it doesn't have a single wound."

"No..." Ukitake breathed heavily as he staggered to his feet. "I have wounded it... I wounded it a lot. But it has some kind of high speed regeneration."

Urahara let out an amused breath. "Well that could be a problem..."

"It also has a strange power," Ukitake continued, stepping up alongside his comrades and raising the twin blades of his Shikai. "Somehow it can invade you and control your movements. It's how it broke my arm... It can do it to the environment to. Look down at its feet."

Seemingly etched into the ground, a number of black tendril-like markings extended out of the strange creature's feet.

"Nerves," Urahara said bluntly. "It's able to create and invade nervous systems." His eyes flicked between his two comrades quickly. "Don't let them touch you. If you do you're as good as dead..." The gaze stopped on Ukitake. "So then how were you able to escape with just a broken arm?"

"The Right Arm embodies stillness," he replied, slowly.

"So you put your body into some form of stasis, when it infected you?"

"In a manner of speaking..."

"Okay..." Urahara took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I think I have a plan."

Ahead of them, the grotesque visage of the Hand, grafted onto Nimaya's severed neck, swayed on the spot; pupils moving clumsily inside its single bulbous eye. All around it, the fingers started to twitch in sudden impulsive movements. The sound of half-formed words stuttered out of it.

"It's a bit of a long shot, but if we manage to pull this off, then we've won," Urahara continued. "But I'm going to need you both to trust me on this."

Not once looking away from their malformed enemy, Ukitake and Sylvanus simultaneously nodded.

"Okay, good." The former Captain wrung his hands around the hilt of his Zanpakuto and tilted his head down, throwing a dark shadow across his face. "I don't think we'll be able to kill this thing easily, if at all, with what Ukitake has said about its regeneration, so my plan is to seal it. Sylvanus, I'm going to need you to act as a decoy. I've seen your speed, and you're the best suited to this role. It'll be difficult for that thing to even see you, much less catch you and latch on. I'll be providing support. Helping you out and making sure that it focuses on us."

"Then what about me?" Ukitake asked, hardening his gaze.

"You're going to be the one that seals it. You said The Right Arm embodies stillness, right? How far do you think that'll stretch if you were to touch it and force a reaction?"

"As things stand now? No more than a few hours. After all, it is also a piece of the Soul King..."

"That's more than enough time. While we're distracting it, I need you to sneak up on it and force it into a state of stasis."

Sylvanus momentarily glanced over at his acting commander. "Not to sound rude, but how the hell are you going to provide support against a thing like that? I know you're resourceful, you were labeled a War Potential for a reason, but I doubt wit alone is going to save you from something that can force you to tear yourself limb from limb."

"Well, I did steal some potent nerve-toxins from the now-deceased Captain Kurotsuchi's lab..." Urahara mused, a sad yet sly smirk playing on his lips, in memory of his deceased protégé. "Plus... I have more than a few other tricks up my sleeve."

"Such as?"

"Well... This for starters." Urahara's mouth drew wider into a full smile. "I didn't think I'd ever be forced to use this..." The blade of his Zanpakuto started to glow bright red.

"Bankai..."

* * *

_It's always a sad moment when you realise that you're the villain in your own story..._

"La Muerte!"

Yasutora Sado roared viciously as he slammed his left fist into Onmar Gunther (The Gravity)'s exposed stomach. Black lightning crackled from the protrusion mounted on his shoulder, and a shockwave of air rippled off of the Sternritter's back.

Again, the Quincy didn't so much as flinch.

_I tried my best to protect them all... My comrades. At least that's what I've always claimed. The problem was when protecting them, doing what I thought was the right thing, came at the cost of someone else's life._

"El Directo!"

Following up from the gut punch, Chad cracked his right fist into the side of Onmar's unmoving face. An explosion of spiritual energy roared over the Schutzstaffel's top half, eclipsing his form in white. When the blast cleared, however, he was revealed to be completely unharmed.

_I never claimed that I was completely blameless. After all, I killed all of those Shinigami during the first invasion. I probably killed more in the second. But I did it because I thought that we were right. Because they were the evil side; the ones that we needed to defeat... I wonder when I realised that that wasn't the case? Maybe it was when I fought Syl. It could even have been right now... When I saw Aya. When I realised that I had killed her brother. Until now he had just been a nameless person; a non-entity without a family. Without anyone to miss him. As soon as I realised that he did, it removed the distance... And I started to think the same of the Shinigami. That they had families I was taking them away from._

Chad took a step back and reared both of his arms back. "La Muerte Directa!"

As the Fullbringer's fists came into contact with the Quincy, a raging torrent of Reiatsu burst forth from Chad's back, in the visage of a skull.

This time the hit actually forced Onmar to take a step back.

Shocked by the force of the strike, his lime eyes flicked up and locked with Chad's own deep brown orbs. He noticed something in them. An intensity he had already seen in someone else.

Ichigo Kurosaki.

Their expressions matched.

Onmar caught himself wondering if that was what it was like when people looked at him and Sylvanus. People so close that they shared a particular look.

He took a step back forwards and caught Chad's arm around the wrist, just as he launched another punch.

"Please stop this," Onmar said, slowly.

"I told you already!" Chad shouted, swinging his free arm upwards, in another attempt to strike the Sternritter in the face. Again, Onmar caught the strike. "I'm not letting you take a single step from here! I'll hold you here as long as I can!"

"To buy time for Kurosaki? Even if you know that it's suicide?" The response was restrained; the undertones wavering ever so slightly.

Chad's resolve was as steadfast as ever. "If it's suicide, so what? I'm protecting my friend! Buying him time to do what he needs to do! Why wouldn't I give up my life for that?"

The response stirred something inside Onmar. Releasing his opponent's fists, he allowed Chad to retreat back.

"You're a good friend," Onmar said, looking down at the ground. "You know that?"

Chad was taken aback by the statement. He blinked once, unsure of how exactly to respond.

Onmar narrowed his eyes, focusing on a spot on the floor. "You remind me a lot of my best friend. He's down there right now... Trying to get up here to kill Yhwach. And I fought him. I left him to go off on his own to get himself killed." Finally looking up, he locked eyes with Chad. "You're a better man than me. Standing by your friend, having his back."

Still, the large man remained silent.

As he stood there, Onmar had a flash of memories. A vision of his best friend, half drunk and speaking through slurred words. _"You need to pull those splinters out of your ass, you god damn fence-sitter."_

Onmar suddenly started to laugh. Lifting his hand up, he covered the top half of his face and continued to chuckle. "I just thought of something really funny..." Pulling his hand away, the Sternritter was revealed to be crying. Eyes red and tears rolling down his cheeks, laughter still rocked his body. "I suppose it's time I finally make up my mind on something."

Reaching down, he grasped Aya's unconscious body and threw her towards Chad. Instinctively, the large young man caught her and cradled her tiny form in his arms.

Walking forwards, Onmar reached out with both hands and placed them on both Chad and Aya. "T-1."

Confused as to what exactly had just happened, Chad knitted his brows together.

"Take her and run away from here," Onmar said, turning away from Chad and staring up at one of the narrow windows of Yhwach's throne room, eyes still wet from crying. "Don't worry... I'll protect Kurosaki for you."

A beam of light shot into the air, streaking skyward in a massive column. Vanishing into the blaze, Onmar's form was completely hidden from view; dwarfed by white.

**"Michael; The Divine General."**

When the pillar shattered into glass shards of reishi, Onmar had completely disappeared.

Chad was left holding the unconscious girl, gripped by dismay and stunned shock.

* * *

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (The Awakening) moved in a fluid manner. It danced about the area, turning aside the attacks of the Shinigami as they all continuously lunged at it.

Sweeping the back of its hand down, Beraht knocked away the multiple blades of Fujikujaku, as Yumichika Ayasegawa launched an attack. Motioning in the opposite direction with its other hand, the ethereal creature did the same to Izuru Kira's own Zanpakuto.

"Can you all not see the futility in your actions?" Beraht asked, moving slowly as it stared around the group, calmly. "Conflict begets conflict. Are you all truly willing to engage in such abhorrent actions, simply for the sake of your pride?"

"Pride has nothing to do with it!" Nanao shouted back at the entity.

"Oh but it does," Beraht replied. "It is with my gyananakashu that I see not only your actions but your intentions; one of all, the many paths that are taken and their own consequences that were decided far before the act was commited." The spectral being lifted one hand and pointed towards the girl. ""Forsooth, and with my nature and the path taken; the results of intelligence I am able to read your heart and memorise your memories. Such is the nature of Awakening."

All of a sudden, Beraht stopped speaking. Its right hand side dropped down, arm hanging limply in the air.

"Ah I see..." the Schutzstaffel stated, in a matter of fact manner. "This was the hand with which I parried Izuru Kira's blade." Solid white eyes moved over to place the blonde man. "An apt power for one such as yourself. A man so consumed by his own emotions that he can do nothing more than bow his head in penance. You force those that you battle to bear the same weight as yourself, until they can do little more than bow beneath the weight. It is reminiscent of my own applications of the Sutras to enforce the great pains of Dukkha upon others. And so I will show you what it is that all flee from without desire for recollection or reconciliation. What is it that happened to you, to force these horrific feelings upon yourself? Shall I take a peek into your mind and recover what it is you are running from? To face one's demons is essential on the road to enlightenment, after all."

At the being's words, Izuru's body was gripped by a shudder. Chilling sweat beaded on his face as his eyes trembled.

"I see visions of a family torn apart by the deaths of a couple," Beraht stated calmly. "The brave face of a son, shouldering the burdens of lower nobility while inside he is in turmoil. A feeling of-"

The swipe of a staff cut off the Quincy mid-sentence. Dipping low as he came from the side, Ikkaku Madarame made an attempt at striking Beraht around the face.

Leaning back, the Sternritter avoided the attack easily and again chopped through a section of the staff with the edge of its unimpeded left hand.

Far from appearing shocked, however, Ikkaku expected the further destruction of his weapon. Diving forwards, past his enemy, he swept his left hand along the ground and snatched up the discarded blade of Hozukimaru.

Swinging his arm backwards, blade in an inverse position, Ikkaku attempted to slice through the Quincy's Achilles' tendon.

Beraht barely blinked. It spoke fast, words rolling off of its tongue at a rapid pace. _"I'll cut his tendons!"_

Ikkaku's thoughts still escaping its lips at an increased pace, Beraht calmly leapt over the slash, without even turning around.

Continuing the swing of the stump blade, Ikkaku made a complete rotation in his crouched state. Slamming the split end of the staff into the bottom of the blade, he gritted his teeth.

_"I guess I've got no choice but to use it!"_ Beraht recited quickly, before landing on the ground and turning to face the bald Shinigami.

Ikkaku tensed the muscles in his shoulders. Eyes glowing bright white, he bared his teeth. "BANKAI!" Pink and mauve spiritual energy flared out in a massive whirlwind; similarly coloured sparks of electricity crackling off of the twister. Such was the force of the wind, Beraht was forced to take a step back. "Ryūmon Hozukimaru!"

"Your Bankai?" the Quincy mused, calmly. "A mistake..."

Ikkaku was revealed from the whirlwind of colour gripping a large Chinese Monk's Spade in his right hand, a bright red horsehair flowing from the guard. The foremost edge of the blade was missing a large section, eating into the implement in a sharpened half moon shape. Extending from the base of the cylindrical pommel, a thick black chain was grafted onto the edge of a massive axe blade, floating behind him. In his right hand, he held the shattered stump of another handle, the foremost end sharpened into a tapered point, and trailing behind him was another loose link of chain.

"Curious... Its power is a fraction of what it should be." Closing its eyes, Beraht lifted both arms to its sides and splayed a set of elegant white fingers. A thin split of skin appeared in the centre of its forehead before opening and revealing a third eye, glowing ominously. "I see that it was damaged during a battle with an Arrancar... Such a shame. I imagine that the Bankai would have been splendid in its prime." The third eye atop its head closed, as Beraht reopened its usual clear white orbs. "However, I must attempt to dissuade you from using it now. While I myself have relinquished my emotions as a means to obtain enlightenment, through my powers as a Satori, I am able to read your heart. The further destruction of your Bankai would upset you greatly."

Ikkaku ignored the warning and charged headlong at the Schutzstaffel, lifting the oversized blade in his right hand.

Whirling its hands around in opposite circular motions, Beraht prepared to snap the blade in half as soon as it moved within range.

Its arms, however, suddenly came to a halting stop.

"Tear in a frenzy. Ruri'iro Kujaku."

Glowing azure vines entangled the arms of the pure white entity, throwing coloured light across its indistinguishable features. The hilt of his Zanpakuto connected to the other end of the luminous plantlife, Yumichika's eyes had changed colour to match the plants.

The blade of Ikkaku's Bankai was within an inch of Beraht's face when it stopped.

The pure white robe that the entity wore was flung off it its back as an extra pair of arms reached around the Quincy's body and grabbed the blade.

Ikkaku's eyes opened wide in dismay. "What the fuck?!"

Beraht kept its voice flat and low. "It's over, Ikkaku Madara-"

"Fulfill. Hisagomaru!"

Red spiritual energy eclipsed Beraht in a deafening explosion. An enormous shockwave ripped through the corridor and cracked the walls; smoke shooting skyward. Knocked back the by force of the blast, Ikkaku and Yumichika's feet slid across the floor as they were pushed away from their opponent.

Hanataro Yamada stood, holding a scalpel between both of his trembling hands. The side of his eye started to twitch and his voice wavered in shock. "I... I actually got him..."

Nanao, still stood off at the side, stared wide-eyed towards the Fourth Division Third Seat. "Yamada, you..."

"I... I'd used my Zanpakuto to heal everyone after your Captain used his Bankai... I... I j-just didn't expect there to be this much..." He reached up and swept his still trembling hand across the sweat that had beaded on his forehead. "Th-the blast was so huge... I-I think I might have nearly blown my eardrums..."

"I concur," a perfectly calm voice said, perforating the room as it emerged from the smoke. Within an instant, the haze was cleared to reveal Beraht. The creature was slightly singed, but otherwise unharmed. "That was quite the explosion."

The group of Shinigami all took a collective step back.

"I am sensing a mixture of fear and dismay emanating from you..." Again, the third eye atop Beraht's head opened and began to glow slightly. "And yet... You all still believe that you can win like this." Reaching behind its back with the extra pair of hands, the ethereal being drew out a large, rolled sutra scroll. "I only wish to teach you of the values that you must have to endure the rest of time, to become greater than what is commonly thought possible. But to play your game for a moment, allow me to remind you of this: The true acme of skill is not to seek victory in combat, nor to engage in combat at all. The acme of skill is to subdue one's foe without fighting, and if needed to forget the notions of victory and defeat; only strive to never surrender. You commit sins of war that will spell your downfall: Temper, Honor, and Ignorance. Now you will see what it is that I see, I will imprint upon you your own folly and show you the true meaning of Dukkha - suffering..." Rapidly, the scroll began to unravel and spiral around the entity. "Snaking stairways flow up to the gates of a paradise not sought, not give but taken and with few to take. It lies with a sentinel at bay that observes the very concept of life itself. A being of nothing, that which has no allegiance and lies in solitude with its eyes to give it company in solace of the state of the universe. With its thousand eyes gleaming in the void of the massive artifact called 'Existence', it will observe all truths and remember all events. It will seek and find where none will, its mind and those who follow will bloom like a Lotus and awaken in full, their own spring coming soon and never waning; giving birth to a new truth and a world to follow. This is The Ultimate Goal: The Awakening - Dharma and Nirvana dancing in the sky."

White light washed over everything in a blinding bloom.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki charged at Yhwach, twin blades drawn and glinting viciously in the light of the morning sun.

"How shall you greet me?" Yhwach asked, smiling broadly as the youth charged at Him. "From the right or for the left? I'm anxious to see what you are capable of."

"I thought you could see it all?" Ichigo asked spitefully, swinging the sword in his right hand in a wide arc towards the New God.

Black shadows rose up from the ground and blocked the slash, in a thick torrent. "But where is the fun in that?" Yhwach asked, with a smile. "After all... I have already won. This farcical struggle is an act of futility. No matter what you try, that does not diminish the fact that I am now the Soul King. And if, by some miracle, you did manage to kill me, you would take the Universe with it."

Ichigo gritted his teeth and jumped back, slicing the shadows with both of his swords as he did so. "So what?" Reiatsu flared off of his body in an even fiercer torrent. "If you die, the Universe ends? Then someone will just have to replace you!"

Lunging forwards again, Ichigo's blades were stopped again by the shadows, inches from Yhwach's face.

"You killed my mother! I'm not going to stop just because you tell me crap like that!" Ichigo screamed.

Yhwach merely chuckled once under His breath. "For you to place so much importance on something so insignificant... It was her purpose. To die so that I may live. To grant me sustenance. There is nothing for you to lament... For there is no greater honour in the world!"

Ichigo was flung back with so much force that he levelled a stone pillar across the enormous room.

Recovering almost instantly, Ichigo charged headlong back at the Quincy King.

"Charging in so recklessly..." Yhwach lamented. "Has your hatred clouded your judgement?"

Ichigo barely registered the words. Blood roared in his ears, drowning out Yhwach's words. Strangely, though, it wasn't rage that gripped him, but clarity. He knew that he had to defeat Yhwach; that he had to avenge his mother. But he didn't allow the emotions to overwhelm him. His Reiatsu blazed even fiercer around his body, in flaming white tongues.

Suddenly, he was interrupted by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be an idiot," came a voice, snapping Ichigo out of his focussed state.

"T-1."

Dragged across the room, Ichigo cried out as he was thrown down at the foot of the far wall.

Whipping his head around, the Shinigami boy attempted to place exactly who had grabbed him. All he could see, however, was light.

A man stood over him, swathed in a white glow.

"Onmar..." Yhwach muttered, rising from His throne. "Pray tell... What do you think you are doing?"

The Schutzstaffel stood over Ichigo, clad in the form of his Vollständig. White markings stretched over the skin of his exposed torso, bordering the bright purple Gravity Nodes and highlighting the contours of his muscles. Roaring from his right shoulder, a single white wing took the form of a lion's head; the mane flaring out into the open air in fluttering white wisps.

Stepping between Ichigo and his King, Onmar broke into a sad smile. "I'm making a decision."

Ichigo, finally realising who had grabbed him, from the voice, rose to his feet and moved to attack the new arrival.

"Don't," Onmar said, stopping Ichigo's movement with the intensity of his voice. "I'm here to help you. I promised your friend that I would keep you safe." Looking over his shoulder, he curled his mouth into a sad grin. "That's one hell of a friend you have."

Ichigo, taken aback by the statement, let out a light gasp. "Chad... What the hell did you do...?"

"Leave this to me..." Onmar said, rounding back on Yhwach and striding towards Him, purposefully.

"So you really plan to fight me?" Yhwach asked, with a chuckle. "Surely this must be some kind of joke. It was I who gave you your power in the first place. How can you possibly hope to defeat me?"

"You might have carved a letter into my soul," Onmar retorted. "But I was the one who made it my own. I determined the power I drew from it. My power was born from having to bear the weight of my decisions... And now I think it's time you do the same."

Stood at the foot of the stairs, leading up to the throne, Onmar locked eyes with the shadow that shrouded his King's face.

Calling over his shoulder, Onmar addressed Ichigo. "Kurosaki! Stay right where you are. I've already fixed it so that you won't be effected... So keep out of this."

Yhwach laughed once. "How amusing."

Onmar blinked and tapped his foot once on the floor. "G-80."

A massive force descended on Yhwach from above. Unlike anything anybody could conceive possible. The ceiling above them spontaneously caved, and the ground beneath them crumbled to dust.

Onmar vanished.

Reappearing to Yhwach's left, he grasped the Kaiser by the head and wrenched Him off of the ground. Flung through the air like a rag doll, the New God smashed through the far wall of the Wahrwelt and flew out into the open air of the morning sky.

Rocketing after Him, Onmar gave chase at supersonic speeds.

Pinballing the Quincy King through the air, the former Schutzstaffel came at Him from every conceivable angle, in the blink of an eye.

Blood and black shapeless matter spattered through the air and rained down on the Wahrwelt below.

_I can do this..._ Onmar thought, as he pummeled his former leader. _All I need to do is beat him down before he has a chance to react. I'm faster than him. I know that for a fact. All I need to do is sustain it until he's dead!_

That was when Yhwach caught his fist.

"Are you quite finished?"

A shockwave of reishi slammed into Onmar's stomach, before he had a chance to react. Thrown back by the force of the attack, the black-haired young man gagged on blood.

Glaring up at the New God, Onmar started to breathe heavily.

"I assumed that you would have realised how futile it is to oppose God," Yhwach stated, His booming voice enclosing around Onmar. "You stupid boy. You should know, from your time beneath me... You cannot kill me. You cannot kill God."

_Damn it... I thought that would have at least hurt him..._ Onmar thought, clasping his wounded stomach with his free hand. Blood dripped from his chin and his eyes were pinpricked from the strain of simply staying conscious. _He nearly killed me with that attack alone..._

Balling his fists at his sides, Onmar straightened up and clenched his jaw tightly.

_But I'm not done yet. After all... I still have that._

Throwing a strained look across the Wahrwelt beneath him, Onmar scanned for Reiatsu signatures.

_Anyone I've used my T abilities on should be safe... As for everyone else... I just hope that this can kill Him. And if it does... I just need to make sure that I can close it in time._

"Honestly Onmar, it doesn't matter how much you struggle," Yhwach continued. "Try all you might, you couldn't even give me the slightest scratch. Now... Cease this resistance before I grow tired of you."

"Well Syl..." Onmar chuckled under his breath. "Wish me luck... After all, I can only try this once."

A chilling scream split the air as the strongest Sternritter started to convulse. Erupting from his body, a massive shockwave of white light burst into the open air and washed over the Wahrwelt. Simultaneously, every Gravity Node embedded in Onmar's body was forced out of place and shot into the air.

Moving at immeasurable speeds, the tiny orbs started to spin and rotate, spiralling around one another like electrons around an atom.

As He watched the display, an unfamiliar expression flashed across Yhwach's face.

Fear.

An incredibly powerful force ripped through the floating city. Everything started to shudder.

"No..." Yhwach said, under his breath. "You wouldn't!"

"The event horizon is the point of no return," Onmar explained. "Where not even light can escape. And right now... It sits there! Less than one hundred meters from you!" He lifted one finger, arm trembling unsteadily as his body was wracked with pain. "You should never have given me this power. Although I guess you never assumed that I would turn in on you."

The spiralling vortex created by his Gravity Nodes started to slowly increase in size. A pinprick black spot formed at its centre.

"That's a flicker-mass, seven exatonne, Quasi Black Hole!" Onmar shouted. "And nothing escapes that! Not even God!"


	91. Der Todd von Gott

**Chapter 90: Der Todd von Gott**

"Bankai... Kanonbiraki Benihime Aratame."

An ominous clacking sound filled the air as Kisuke Urahara's Bankai was manifested.

Taking the form of an enormous, beautiful woman, it loomed over him and cast a shadow down upon the area. Long blood red locks of hair tumbled off of the woman's head and hung around Urahara like the curtains of a stage, closed as a prelude to a performance. Clicking mechanically, her arms were segmented and seemingly constructed from porcelain, much like those of the now deceased Senjumaru Shuutara.

Taking cue from the activation of the former Captain's Bankai, Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) lunged forwards at insane speeds and began to dive and flit around the strange creature that opposed them.

The Left Hand, still burbling incoherently, staggered to the side and projected its nerves out and across the ground in a black spiderweb.

Rapping his feet against the ground, Sylvanus rebounded between the gaps in the network and continued to circle the deformed entity. Lifting both hands as he moved, he formed a stout bow from ambient reishi and drew an arrow into it. Crackling with electricity, the projectile pulsed flickers of lightning out into the surrounding air, leaving bright afterimages as he continued to move at impossible speeds.

The two pupils mounted at the centre of the enormous hand started to move independently, attempting to track the Sternritter as he circled around.

A bolt of white lightning was loosed from Sylvanus' bow and came screaming towards The Left Hand, from behind.

Nerves suddenly shot up from the ground, intercepting the attack and latching onto the arrow at a rapid pace. Bending the projectile's course mid-flight, the invasive tendrils turned it back on itself and sent the bolt back towards Sylvanus.

Momentarily stopping, so that he didn't move into the path of the attack, Sylvanus' eyes snapped open wide.

Nerve endings had risen up from the floor all around him, like an organic net, when he was distracted by the arrow. Instantaneously flicking his eyes from the trap, towards the ceiling, his brain whirled into overdrive. Etched onto the wall behind him and the ceiling above, thin black lines formed a complex web.

He was completely surrounded by the nerves.

"Shit..."

All of a sudden, however, the thin black tendrils bent back on themselves, opening a path for him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Kisuke Urahara smiling to himself. Around him, the arms of his Bankai pointed down, the palms of its hands pressed flat against the floor.

Not hesitating for a second, Sylvanus dived through the gap in the nerves.

But by then, The Left Hand had stopped focussing on the Sternritter. It had already acquired a new target.

Urahara's eyes opened wide as dozens of black tendrils rose up from the ground and shot towards him. Hurriedly backstopping, he attempted to avoid the attack.

The nerves, however, were far faster than he had anticipated.

One of the tips managed to latch on to the flesh of his left pinky finger; black lines etching themselves onto his skin and rapidly spreading up his arm. Almost instantly, the finger bent back on itself and started to break.

Urahara merely smiled.

The hands of his Bankai moved fast, grasping hold of his shoulders.

Spontaneously, Urahara's arm split apart, like pieces of a marionette. The sections appeared hollow, almost as if what they were made from wasn't real flesh and bone.

Snapping back together, the former Captain's arm bore a number of stitch-like patterns along the contours of where it had been broken apart.

"Nice try," Urahara smiled, locking his gaze with the enormous twin-pupilled hand, mounted on the palm of the hand.

By this point, arrows were ripping through the air, from Sylvanus' bow and towards the creature's back. Flames blazed off of them, as Sylvanus snapped a different point off of his necklace, to activate his Heatwave ability.

Fire tore through the area, searing the ends of a number of the nerves, as the Heilig Pfeil exploded against The Left Hand's back.

As the fire started to die down, Urahara tossed a vial of liquid into the midst of the complex web. Shattering against the ground, the contained liquid was spilt out over the nerves.

That was when The Left Hand started to scream. A chilling and horrifying cry, it reverberated off of the walls of the cavernous room. The nerve toxin stolen from Mayuri Kurostsuchi's lab was extremely potent and, as expected of the now deceased crazed Captain, was designed to be extraordinarily painful.

Again, the arms of Urahara's Bankai whirled into action. Stitch marks appeared on the floor, stretching towards The Left Hand in a narrow pathway. Sprouting up from the ground, footholds took up residence, extending above both the nerves and the toxin.

"Ukitake, now!"

Dashing across the raised platforms, Jushiro Ukitake raised one hand and pointed it towards the deformed creature. Etched onto his back, the black markings of the Mimihagi began to ripple.

Fingers splayed and white hair flaring up behind him, he narrowed his eyes and prepared to grab hold of The Left Hand to seal it.

The Hand suddenly rounded on him, twin pupils rotating inside of the single socket. "Yo, yo, yo! Sneakin' up like that is so not cool, man!"

Ukitake's whole body locked up in shock.

"Rip through 'em! Mera!"

The body of Ohetsu Nimaya rapidly drew a Zanpakuto from its belt, the blade warping as it was swung out, until it formed into a straight serrated shape.

Ukitake was slashed across the chest by the retaliatory attack.

_What the hell?_ he thought. _That was Nimaya's voice! Is it taking on his traits? Evolving already? Either way, this is way too fast! And if it can use all of Nimaya's different Zanpakuto, then-_

His thoughts were cut off as the entire Wahrwelt shuddered. Rubble and chunks of the ceiling fell down upon them in a rain, before stopping suddenly. Without warning, everything began to hover off of the floor and slowly float upwards.

The only thing that remained unaffected, stood grounded in the middle of the room, was Sylvanus.

Realising exactly what was happening, his body shuddered and he cast his gaze upwards. "Onmar... No... Why the hell would you use that?"

Gritting his teeth, he turned towards one of the narrow windows and rapidly snapped off the Tornado point of his necklace. Leaping into the air, he all but vanished, he was moving so fast.

Floating midair, Urahara turned towards the Sternritter. "What the hell are you doing?!"

He never received an answer.

Across the room, an enormous explosion annihilated one of the walls. Blown through the structure by the force, but remaining airborne due to the strange gravity, a group of Shinigami tumbled over each other.

Floating through the massive hole, a strange creature came into view.

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (The Awakening) appeared illuminated. Naked, save for the spiral of its sutra scroll constantly circling it, the ethereal being's body was completely covered in clear white eyes. Thin white tubes protruded from its chest, just over the slight hint of its breasts, and looped around to connect between its shoulder blades. Each of the tubes bore a slight bulge midway along their length, upon which even more eyes had opened. Mounted on its back were two extra pairs of arms, and the top of its head was seemingly peeling away, so that it resembled the petals of a lotus flower.

All of the eyes dotted across Beraht's body turned upon the inhabitants of the room, focussing on every individual at once.

"It appears as if everyone has gathered..." it stated calmly, as it floated through the air. "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. Now arises the opportunity for us all to observe our shadows. To see the truth of our being. Together, we will venture down the path to enlightenment."

* * *

_Sylvanus Athala scratched bashfully at the black stubble that clung to the back and sides of his head. Breathing heavily, he looked away from his companion to stare up at the sky. "You know," he suddenly said. "You're wrong about us being the two who want to make friends the most."_

_Tomoko Stano (The Entropy) pulled a confused face. "What?"_

_"I said that we're not the two who want to make friends the most," Sylvanus reiterated. He broke into a brief smile._

_"So who is?" Tomoko asked, casting down her Popsicle stick and turning to her side, looking at Sylvanus._

_"Onmar."_

_"Hahaha! Are you kidding me?" The black-haired girl opened her eyes wide in disbelief; laughter clinging to her voice. "Mr antisocial? The Sternritter who hates more people in the Silbern than anyone else. He's the one that wants to make friends the most?"_

_"I'm not joking," Sylvanus said, completely deadpan. "He acts aloof; he acts like he doesn't care. But I can see him... God knows how I can, but I can. He cares about us and wants to get close to us. The reason why he doesn't have many friends is because people avoid him. And that's only because he acts like he doesn't care. It's a cycle."_

_Tomoko seemed to ponder the thought for a second. "I guess you're right."_

_"The only person I think Onmar genuinely hates is Kirmie," the grey-haired young man continued. "I can see it in his eyes. Everyone else, he would do his best to save, if it came down to it. Even if they didn't like him."_

_"Well I guess we'll see if you're right in the next invasion," she replied, smiling._

_"I guess we will," Sylvanus said, laughing slightly. "Here's hoping he doesn't put my expectations to shame."_

* * *

Yhwach fought against the overwhelming force of the Quasi-Black Hole with every ounce of His being. Black shapeless shadows surrounding His body thrashed violently from the force; His limbs trembling as His half-hidden face contorted in strain.

Spontaneously, dozens of eyes opened across the black mass that swathed Yhwach. Desperately He searched for a future in which He wasn't swallowed by the Black Hole.

He needed to find one. Amongst the countless grains of sand, there had to be a future that didn't contain His Death. There He would find His escape. A means by which He evaded destruction. And from there, He would need only follow the sequence of events that led to it.

But that was only viable if He could locate one. Somewhere, anywhere, there had to be a means of escape.

All around Him, the Wahrwelt was coming to ruin. Debris from the floating city rose up towards the singularity, before being consumed and crushed by the sheer power of the gravitational field. Struggling to maintain itself, the immense fortress began to shake violently, jutting spires and towers tearing off and collapsing, before being sucked into the void. Overhead clouds had started to congregate and churn over the anomaly, spiralling into a maelstrom.

Onmar Guther (The Gravity) floated in midair, barely conscious and trembling from the pain of unleashing his ultimate attack. Rippling from his back, the single wing of his Vollständig kept him airborne.

A deep nothing reflected in his eyes, as he watched Yhwach struggle against the pull of Gravity.

_Consider this payment for everyone you ever hurt,_ he thought, solemnly. _My comrades followed you, and you threw them away like pawns. The Shinigami who stood against you, you stepped on like trash. Even those in the World of the Living who have no idea you even exist... You're planning to kill them all._

Onmar gritted his teeth.

_Well no more... I'm sick of watching people die, and I can't just sit back and take it anymore! I won't let anyone else get killed! Not when I can protect them!_

The New God let out a strained scream. A mixture of horror and determination, it echoed down upon the Wahrwelt.

"What's the matter?!" Onmar shouted at Him. "Where was that confidence from earlier? Didn't you tell me that you were a God?!"

Yhwach didn't respond. Gritting His teeth, a prominent vein bulged from the side of His face. Again, he let out a roaring scream.

Pain still gripping him, Onmar lifted one hand and tenderly placed it over the empty space in his chest from where one of his Gravity Nodes had been torn out. A grimace flashed across his features.

"Nothing escapes a Black Hole, Yhwach!" Onmar continued, fighting back the pain so that he could shout. "This was over the second I activated this technique!"

_So just let it consume you..._ Onmar's mind added. _You know you can't escape it, so why are you trying? Damn it... If this keeps up and it grows too large, it could become a real Black Hole. And if that happens... I won't be able to stop it._

His eyes hardened, glowing with the morning light.

_So just die already! Otherwise, you're going to take everything with you!_

Suddenly, reishi spontaneously formed solid above Onmar. Taking the shape of an enormous bow, an equally huge arrow manifested in it, before launching down towards Onmar at monstrous speed. Yhwach was trying to kill him, in an attempt to stop the Black Hole.

"Sankt Bogen!"

Onmar's eyes rapidly shot up. They were just about able to place the projectile, but his body was in no fit state to dodge the attack.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

A torrent of white spirit energy, in the shape of a crescent moon, ripped through the air and annihilated Yhwach's attack before it managed to perforate the former Schutzstaffel.

Head whipping around, Onmar spotted Ichigo Kurosaki, stood atop the highest point of the Wahrwelt. The larger of his two blades was still cloaked in the remnants of his attack.

"Damn you both!" Yhwach screamed in rage. The numerous eyes that covered His entire body throbbed from strain.

In that moment, distracted by the appearance of Ichigo, Yhwach's resistance faltered.

Dragged screaming through the air, eyes of The Almighty still glowing from across His form, the New God cursed them. The echoes of His cries were all that remained as He vanished into the abyss.

Onmar flinched from the pain in his body; his muscles seizing up.

The instant Yhwach disappeared into the void, Onmar rapidly lifted his right hand and pointed it towards the Black Hole.

"Come on... Come on...!" he hissed through his teeth. His splayed fingers trembled. "Close, damn you!"

The Gravity Nodes, still orbiting about each other midair, flickered with bright purple light. Below, the entire Wahrwelt shuddered.

"Damn it, cloooose!" Onmar screamed.

A massive explosion shook the sky; an enormous shockwave erupting outwards as all the energy that the Quasi Black Hole has absorbed was released. A flash of light seared through the Wahrwelt, washing over everything. The Gravity Nodes spontaneously stopped spinning and dropped out of the air, plunging down towards the Soul Society. Lightning crackled from the dense mass of clouds swirling above.

The wing of his Vollständig fading, Onmar started to fall from the sky.

Hurriedly spitting out a brief mutter of "T-0" he dispelled the effects of gravity on him and began to float in midair.

He was a complete and utter wreck. Sweat drenched his body and ragged breaths burned his lungs. The pale green eyes set into his face were bloodshot and his vision blurred. His chiseled muscles were so strained that they still continued to spontaneously twitch and spasm.

Eyes moving slowly down to place Kurosaki, on the top of the Wahrwelt, he broke into an exhausted smile and flashed the orange-haired boy a thumbs up.

"I did it, Syl," Onmar huffed, lightheaded and on the verge of passing out. "It's finally over..."

"Wrong. It's over when I say it's over!"

Yhwach grabbed Onmar around the throat and lifted him into the air. Crushing force choked the air out of the Sternritter's windpipe.

Horror and confusion flooded Onmar's system.

_How did he escape the Black Hole?! He should be dead!_

He caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye that answered his question. Just inside of Onmar's peripheral vision, a hole in space was open, revealing swarming black currents of reishi.

_A Garganta? He must have opened the portal just in front of the Black Hole, and used the momentum to slip through it. I missed it when I flinched! Shit!_

"You shamed me," the Quincy Kaiser ground out, through a throat hoarse from screaming. "You bit my hand. Forced me to experience fear. If I weren't so angry, I would almost feel impressed."

Hands pawing uselessly at Yhwach's forearm, Onmar glared at Him through squinted eyes.

"Where has all of that confidence from before gone?!" Yhwach demanded, reciting Onmar's own line back at him and tightening his grip even more. "Have you finally realised the futility of your rebellion?"

Hand trembling as he released Yhwach's arm, Onmar suddenly formed a gun from ambient reishi. Rapidly pulling the trigger, he attempted to shoot the King in the face.

Having already foreseen the attack, the New God leaned His head to the side and easily dodged the shot. "You were my greatest creation. But look at you now. You're still just a man... Do you finally understand? You can fire your arrows from the Tower of Babel... But you can NEVER! STRIKE! GOD!"

Onmar was struck with so much force that, as he slammed into the side of the mountain-like fortress, he smashed through the entire diagonal width of the Wahrwelt.

Ichigo appeared behind Yhwach, brandishing his dual Zanpakuto. "Getsuga Jujisho!"

Yhwach barely turned towards him. The eyes cloaking His form widened. "Useless..."

* * *

Uryu Ishida looked up as he felt the ground shift beneath him. He had been waiting in the same spot for a long time, and this was the second time in the last five minutes that he felt as if the entire Wahrwelt was going to come down on top of him.

It was unnerving. Uncomfortable.

"What the hell is going on up there..." Uryu muttered under his breath.

"The battle," suddenly arose a voice behind him. "Which, if I'm not mistaken, is where you should be."

Recognising the voice, Uryu's body slowly grew stiff. Clenching his fists at his sides, he began to mechanically turn. "What are you doing here... Ryuken?"

Ryuken Ishida calmly stared down his son, from across the wide corridor. Light flashed over his glasses; a reflection of the rising sun.

"As rude a child as ever; using your Father's first name," he stated, taking a stop forwards. "And as for what I'm doing here... The same could be asked of you. Why are you not at the summit, joining the battle against Yhwach?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Uryu asked, hands flashing up and rapidly forming a bow from airborne reishi. "Because I'm a member of the enemy's army."

Ryuken merely sighed, ignoring the arrow pointed at his face. "The mere fact that you're referring to the Vandenreich as 'the enemy' is evidence enough that what you just said is a lie." He narrowed his eyes. "So what are you planning?"

Uryu faltered for a second, giving his Father time to activate Hirenkyaku and appear beside him. Arm shooting down, Ryuken grasped his son around the wrist and held his bow in place. With the other hand, he reached into the outside pocket of Uryu's white military jacket.

Crying out, Uryu dispersed the bow and swiped at his Father with the back of his left fist.

Calmly stepping back, Ryuken maintained his deadpan expression and lifted his right hand. Tumbling out of his fist and clacking against the floor, dozens of small white chips fell through the air.

"I see you inherited my Father's sticky-fingered habit..." he muttered, looking down at the objects. "Reishi Dispersal Chips... Only members of the Schutzstaffel are allowed to carry these. Where did you steal them from?"

"I didn't steal them," Uryu persisted. "My Master gave them to me!"

"My Father gave these to you?" Ryuken scoffed. "Somehow I highly doubt that."

"It's true!" Uryu shot back. "They were in the same box as the Sanrei Glove! He left me a letter!"

Ryuken, for once, appeared slightly taken aback. "What letter?"

Stepping towards his Father, Uryu began to recite what Soken had written. Every word was confident and forceful; spoken deliberately, as if he had read the source many times and committed it to memory. "The Sealed King of the Quincy will return, piece by piece. 900 years for his form, 90 for his mind and 9 for his power. In 2003, you will have to make a choice. A friend let me take these. It's up to you how you decide to use them."

Uryu started to tremble and locked eyes with his Father.

"I was trusted with these! Trusted to make a choice!"

"And what choice is that?!" Ryuken suddenly shouted back. The phrase was railed out so suddenly, that Uryu was almost bowled over by the force. "To slink around in the shadows and wait for the fight to end? Or, maybe, it was something else. Maybe you decided to spread these around this Palace and, when it looks like all is lost, activate them? Blow this entire fortress to kingdom come, along with everyone still alive. Even yourself." Ryuken narrowed his eyes. "Am I right?"

Uryu didn't reply.

"So I am right," Ryuken stated, in a matter-of-fact manner. "You're under some stupid delusion that suicide is a noble death."

"I'm not planning on killing myself."

"What?"

"The chips... I never scattered them. Those that you grabbed just now are almost all of them."

"You coward."

"You don't know what he can do!" Uryu shouted back at him. "Even before he regained The Almighty, he was able to beat me!" Lifting one arm, he tugged down the sleeve of his jacket, to reveal the scars from where the Quincy King had crucified him. "I still have the scars! And... And now. Now! He can see the future. Every possible outcome. How do you fight something like that?"

Ryuken reached out and grabbed his son by the scruff of the neck, lifting him up off the floor and shouting in his face. "Exactly the same way you would fight anyone else! So he can see the future. Big deal. I didn't raise you to be a coward."

"You didn't raise me at all!" Uryu screamed back, shaking off his Father's hand. "After Mom died you barely even looked at me! So how do you know that this isn't what I really want? The Shinigami killed my Master, your Father, remember? So who's to say that I'm not on their side? Who's to say I'm not looking for revenge?"

"Your Mother would be ashamed of you," Ryuken said, bluntly.

Uryu rapidly formed a bow and fired an arrow at his Father. The thin white projectile opened a deep gash on his cheek. "Don't you dare!"

Ryuken didn't stop. "Abandoning your friends and leaving them to die, all because you're too scared to confront the man who killed your own Mother? You're pathetic."

Uryu fired another arrow at his Father. This one, however, was avoided.

"And if I have to beat some sense into you..." Ryuken formed his own bow. "Then so be it."

"Ishida-Kun...?"

Orihime Inoue stood in the entrance to the wide corridor, flanked by Ganju Shiba and Yoruichi Shihoin.

_Finally!_ Uryu thought, his mind kicking into high-gear.

Not hesitating for a second, he fired an arrow at the girl.

* * *

Ichigo swung his dual blades downwards in the shape of an X.

White spiritual energy flared out in a raging torrent, burning up the air as it rushed towards Yhwach.

Barely moving the Kaiser of the Quincy effortlessly lifted His left hand and grabbed hold of the attack. Stopping the Getsuga Jujisho in place, He tensed His digits and crushed the torrent of spiritual energy.

A massive explosion blasted through the sky, the resultant shockwave catapulting Ichigo down towards the top of the ruined Wahrwelt.

Turning about himself, Ichigo hit the roof and entered into a roll. Righting himself, he glared up at Yhwach, still standing in the middle of the morning sky. A deep gash was opened across the left side of his forehead, where he had caught it during the roll.

The two blades of his Zanpakuto parted the wind around him as he swung them out into a combat stance.

"Hm... Interesting."

Whether it was the sound of the collapsing fortress drowning it out, or if he was so focussed on Yhwach, Ichigo didn't even hear the voice.

"It appears that he has even Kurosaki on the ropes. However... One should never underestimate the child's tenacity. So you can see the future... So what. No matter what your plans, no matter how much you can forsee and prepare, Ichigo Kurosaki will always find a was to surprise you."

Sosuke Aizen sat on top of one of the ruined spires of the fortress, watching as Ichigo rushed towards the now descending Yhwach. A flash of light, as the pair collided in an explosion of spiritual energy, flared across Aizen's eyes.

"You survived a Black Hole," he continued, watching the battle calmly from his vantage point. "You probably expect the battle with Kurosaki to be easy. However... There's one thing that Kurosaki does better than anybody else... Defy expectations."

Reiatsu flared off of Ichigo's body as he charged in for another clash with the New God.

Aizen's eyes moved into an amused shape. A smile clung to his lips. "People are drawn to him. They gather around him, and he gives them confidence to fight. It is a strange concept for us... You and I, after all, are both beings that control through fear. The spirit that he inspires is strange and alien. However, by the end of this, I can assure you that you will know it all too well."

Ichigo's two blades met Yhwach own sword, formed from reishi. They ground together in a blaze of bright sparks.

Aizen continued to look down upon the battle from his position atop the spire.

"You're about to see it..." he continued. "This is where the flood starts. As the river of his determination swells, so will others rise alongside him. Like flotsam and jetsam. And soon... The Dam of your power and resistance will burst."

An enormous explosion rocked the area. Watching the source, Aizen's lips curled into a smile.

"BANKAI!"

* * *

_**[A/N: Just one more chapter to go.]**_


	92. Kriegsende

**Chapter 91: Kriegsende**

Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (The Awakening) floated down amongst the Shinigami force and landed softly on elegant white feet. The eyes set into its body moved steadily to focus on all of the gathered figures in the cavernous space.

Calm and still words formed on its lips, as the genderless being addressed the congregation. "Ah, and I see as I speak and understand; those who wander this field of battle are chased by unquenchable demons. The boy who defies his own expectations for the wishes of helping others - bravery in cowardice, but notwithstanding the lack of a true objective in life: You must take your throne. The one amongst my pupils who values his relations with others above the orders of his master - a friend among friends and a believer of change: You must usurp that which challenges your fate. The man of a thousand pasts all worse than the last, the portrayal of a manipulation of life for the greater good - first and foremost, one who fights for his own justice: You never found your path to begin with, did you?"

At the mere sound of its words, Urahara began to grow lightheaded. A strangely calm feeling washed over him. The sensation only intensified as the creature turned its full attention towards him.

Focusing on the stooped form of Urahara's Bankai, Beraht spoke as if it knew the visage that shielded its owner.

"And to think, I would finally see with my own eyes Avalokitesvara," the pure white being continued. "Or do you go by Guanyin now? It's a pleasure to see the rebirth of Karadavyuha, perhaps also the embodiment of Amitabha of the Vjrayana account? Yes, the red suits it well, much like that of your children: notably Shiva. But perhaps you would enjoy my recounting of the Mahayana? Looking back to the Lotus, I lament the change of heart over the centuries. In any case, it is an honor, Eleven-faced Bodhisattva who channels the compassion of all. Unfortunately, it seems our interests, no matter how similar, have come at an impasse from those who we follow. Perhaps it is better this way, so that we may both transcend ourselves?"

Now everyone stood stupefied. Paralysed by the lucid effects of Beraht's voice, they all stood staring over at it. Beautiful light poured from its form, settling onto everything in the vicinity like a veil. Comforting and safe.

Then it turned its attention towards The Left Hand.

"And the future stands before us, ever changing to the whims of not others but to itself. A selfish machine capable of circumventing even the infallible. Much like the past, it transcends not just the concepts we hold dear, but the very notion of a god itself. We stand before you in awe at the ever-changing 'to-be' that all seek to change but find themselves unable to stand up to the challenge. Thus, the point comes where all is decided for us. A fate, so to speak, that some unrecognizable force has impressed upon us as fact before we could change it. That is the future, and that is evolution."

Continuing its chant, Beraht lifted all of its multiple arms and clasped the numerous palms together as if it were praying.

"A Deus ex Machina is what it truly is: that which the omnipotent fear, that which nothing can impact. Therein lies the power of the weak who do not see the future; they possess a power unfathomable to the powers that be: the present. They live for themselves and to see the change not in the future that they cannot control, but in the destiny of the present which they reside in. They recognize out of their humbleness the futility of reaching for that which does not exist and instead create that which can. Although it is achievable, you must achieve it and take the path which will lead to your chosen present, the past giving head to your ways and knowledge of what may reside in your immediate perception."

Another gaze around the room revealed the occupants to be staring on in awe. And so Beraht continued.

"That is the flaw of omniscience, to think one can truly embody the inconceivable which only those beneath the layer of understanding can influence. The one who calls himself 'god' need not answer to those around him, but to himself who deludes him of his own importance. He does not realize that what he sees is not the future, but his own blindness. Perhaps I may now question you all: Do you understand what contradicts yourself? Do you embrace it? That is the only way."

Recognising the power that the strange creature's words held, Urahara hurriedly reconstructed the stone that formed both the floor and ceiling of the room. Stitch-like lines spread across the surfaces before the stone parted alone the seams and swung powerfully inwards, in an attempt to trap Beraht.

Before it was sealed away, the ethereal creature managed to emit one more sentence: "I see your decision."

"I don't know what the hell that thing is, but we need to stay away from it!" Kisuke Urahara shouted over to Jushiro Ukitake, who had resumed the process of backing away from The Left Hand.

The Shinigami group, consisting of Nanao, Izuru, Yumichika and Ikkaku hurriedly scrambled to their feet and took up residence beside Urahara.

"It's one of the Sternritter..." Nanao explained, regaining composure from her jaded state. "Whatever you do, make sure that if it fires anything from those eyes, you dodge it."

"I'd assume that would be a given," Urahara grinned, sarcastically.

"No, that's not what I mean," Nanao reiterated. "They don't hurt you at all, but the projectiles do something strange. It's some kind of mind control, or brainwashing."

Almost as if on-cue, Hanataro Yamada stumbled through the hole in the wall. His expression appeared vacant and muted. Despair hung behind his eyes. He was mumbling something under his breath, to himself.

"How do I even find the stomach to look at myself in the mirror...? Everything I do just amounts to cleaning up the wounds of murderers... I'm despicable. Horrible... I make myself feel sick..."

On and on he cotinued to ramble along this same vein.

"Well that's certainly concerning..." Urahara mused, the true weight of what was occurring evident behind his eyes. "If they can hit someone as innocent as Yamada-San that hard, imagine what they could do to us. Good call on the dodging."

"Also, don't let any of your weapons get near it," Ikkaku said, gritting his teeth. "It can completely destroy 'em, just by touching 'em."

"Not to belabour a point," Yumichika interjected. "But I think that we're all missing the giant hand in the room. What the hell is that thing?"

"That used to be Ohetsu Nimaya," Urahara said, flitting the hands of his Bankai around to redirect the nerves away from Ukitake, who was still in the process of retreating. "His body's being used as a vessel for The Left Hand of the Soul King. It's a long story, but Captain Ukitake is a vessel for The Right. The only way we can beat it is if he can touch it."

A flash of realisation passed across Nanao's face. "He may not have to..."

"What?"

"Can you go after the Sternritter?" Nanao hurriedly asked. "That prison you put up won't hold it for long, so I need to know if you can hold it in place!"

Clumsily unwrapping the package that she held, the Lieutenant of Squad One withdrew a long rectangular object. Mirrors were set into the side, periodically along its length, reflecting bright glares of light.

"If I can get this right, I might be able to kill them both in one shot!"

Almost as if on-cue, the stone prison erupted into enormous chunks of rubble, as Beraht freed itself.

Stealing a quick glance over towards Nanao, Urahara broke into a smile and nodded. "Alright. I trust you."

* * *

Blood sprayed into the air in a crimson mist, as Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) choked out a painful breath.

He was completely covered in blood; the vermilion veil clinging to him and slicking over his body. Deep gashes and dark bruises punctuated the visage of his body.

Attempting to move, Onmar let out a guttural cry as pain lanced through his limbs.

What remained of them.

His left arm had been severed at the elbow, blood pooling beneath it and lapping at the edge of his back. From within the laceration, a sprig of bone jutted out into the air.

All of his other limbs bore at least three broken bones.

One of his bright green eyes was closed; blood flowing from it and streaming over his cheek like a crimson tear.

As he passed out of consciousness, a blurred form entered his vision. Flying through the path of destruction that he had left in his wake, the visage of Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) rushed towards him.

"Syl..." he muttered, vacantly. "Would be... Nice... Yeah... Nice if he... If he c-came to... See me..."

His vision whited out.

Onmar lost time.

When he came to again, he felt warm. A weightless feeling washed over him, and he felt lightheaded. His wounds felt strange. Almost like something was moving inside of them.

Sylvanus was knelt over him, cradling his head in his arms. His eyes were glowing green and a complex series of roots, like those of a tree, had sprouted from the ground around him. Shrubbery grew from them and cast shadow down on Onmar, shielding his eyes from the light. Pollen fell from the plant life and settled on the Shutzstaffel, clumping on his wounds and stopping the bleeding.

"Don't you dare die on me!" Sylvanus shouted down at his best friend. "You hear me? Don't you dare! You're too strong for this and you know it! You're too strong to die!"

Onmar's eyes moved lazily. His vision still half blurred and his mind full of fog, his pupils slowly traced the outline of his missing arm. "L-... Lost a hand..."

Sylvanus broke into a relieved smile, past the tears. His bottom lip quivered. "Yeah... You did..."

"Can't... Can't rub 'em together t-to stay warm... anymore..."

Pupils flitting between the golden pollen clumps, Onmar tried to make sense of the situation. "P-plants...?" Realisation slowly tugged at his face. "Overgrow... T-thought you couldn't... control it...?"

Sylvanus only smiled. "I still can't... I'm struggling to stay conscious just keeping it active."

Onmar laughed once, spraying blood from his mouth in a painful hacking cough. "S-should just... Just leave me be... S-s-... Save your strength..."

"Don't be stupid."

They sat in silence for several moments, the only sound the clack of falling rubble.

"You know..." Sylvanus suddenly said, casting his gaze sideways. "I never thought I'd see you like this. I always thought -believed- that you were the strongest person in the world..."

"T-that was pretty stupid of you..." Onmar laughed, flinching in pain. "Would... Would the strongest person in the world... Look like this?"

"You're still the strongest person in the world to me." Sylvanus broke into a sad smile. "Even if Kurosaki did do a number on you."

"N-not Kurosaki..." the Schutzstaffel retched, smirking.

"What?"

"Decided to... Follow you down the tunnel..." Onmar continued, a near constant grimace etched onto his face, despite the smile. "Just didn't realise how deep the hole I dug was..."

Sylvanus' face morphed in shock. His mouth was even hanging open, slightly. "You didn't..."

Onmar locked eyes with his friend, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Sorry it took me so long to catch up... You always did say I took forever to make up my mind." He briefly grimaced before speaking again. "I may be the worst person in the world... B-but I always t-tried my best for you..."

Slowly lifting his remaining right hand, Onmar's fist began to tremble, the sensation spreading to his muscles and spasming across his chest. Reaching out fast, Sylvanus grabbed his friend's wrist to steady it.

"I've g-got a present for you..." Onmar grinned. "Grabbed it on my way down... How 'bout that... Reflexes g-... good for something." Unable to keep his fist clenched for any longer, he dropped the object that was clasped in his hand. One of his Gravity Nodes clacked against the smashed ground and rolled slightly. "Surprised it didn't break..."

Picking up the orb, Sylvanus turned it over slowly in his hand.

"Might not do much to Him..." Onmar said, slowly. "But it'll definitely slow Him down..."

"What are you-?"

"You still want to kill Him, right Syl?"

* * *

Spiritual energy burned through the air in an enormous torrent, roaring off of Ichigo Kurosaki's back.

"BANKAI!"

The twin blades of his Shikai blazed brightly with white light; a shockwave of power ripping through the peak of the Wahrwelt. Reiatsu poured out of him and scorched the sky. The geyser of power erupting from him was so huge that it defied reason.

Slamming the hilts of his two blades together, Ichigo stared down Yhwach as the blaze of Reiatsu enveloped him completely.

"Tensa Zangetsu!"

Ichigo was revealed, his Shihakusho in tatters. Clasped in his right hand, the two blades of his Shikai had fused end-to-end and grown to the same length. They appeared thinner, the tip of either end tapered. The back side of the entire weapon had turned pure white, and strung along the back edge was a white chain.

Not pausing for a second, Ichigo charged headlong at Yhwach.

"Your Bankai, is it?" Yhwach mused, as the boy rushed Him. "It is a splendid Bankai... However it will still not be enough. For I have already seen it."

Whirling the Bankai around in his hands, Ichigo grasped the chain and rapidly drew it back beside his face. White energy traced the line of his fist.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The projectile was fired out so fast that it punched through the sound barrier, erupting through a shockwave in an enormous sonic boom. The arrow screamed through the sky, directly at Yhwach's face.

"A Quincy technique?" He muttered. "And what of it?"

Reaching out, the New God caught the arrow midair and spun on the spot. Ichigo had appeared behind Him, ready to swing one end of his blade down upon the Quincy King.

Slamming the caught arrow into Ichigo's side, Yhwach propelled him away with the force of the resultant explosion.

"I am the Father of all Quincy! All of your powers come from me! And... I believe I already told you: I have already seen it." He swung His arms out to His sides in a dramatic manner. "I already know every move you are going to make, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

The Shinigami boy didn't listen. Kicking off from the ground, he rebounded back towards Yhwach and swung the Bankai at Him from the right. As the Quincy God lifted his left arm to defend, Ichigo slapped his left hand into the middle of his Zanpakuto and reversed the swing so that it now came from the left.

However, Yhwach had already raised His opposite hand.

Grabbing hold of the blade, Yhwach warped and enlarged the eyes that clad Him. "I'm telling you that it's useless, you stupid boy."

Ichigo suddenly removed one hand from the handle of his blade and thrust it forwards, at his foe's chest. "Getsusho!"

Black spiritual energy formed in his hand and blasted out across the chest of the Quincy King.

Stepping back, Yhwach was barely phased. "Do you not understand? If I have seen your techniques before, then I think it's only obvious that I know the reishi structure of your attacks."

The eyes once again increased in number across His body, undulating monstrously.

"There is no point in fighting me... As I have already defeated you." Yhwach suddenly turned on the spot and broke into a wide smile. "The same goes for you, Sosuke Aizen."

Aizen, still midair, was falling towards the New God. His Zanpakuto, growing from the side of his fist, was raised, glinting viciously in the light.

The rogue former Captain opened his eyes wide in shock.

Yhwach grabbed the Zanpakuto's blade and broke into a smirk. "Did you truly think that your Kyōka Suigetsu would be able to deceive these eyes of mine?"

"Truthfully? Yes. But where's the fun in that?" Aizen's mouth curled into a chilling smile. "That's why, right now, I'm not using my Shikai."

A prominent vein suddenly bulged along the exposed section of Yhwach's face. Faltering, his body spasmed in pain.

"Suigetsu o Tsukami." Aizen pulled his blade from the fist of his enemy. "That is the name of my Bankai."

Yhwach shuddered as agony tore through his brain.

"While my Shikai is able to create perfect illusions, my Bankai is far more sinister..." Aizen smirked. "With my Bankai, I am able to destroy your very mind. Granted, for it to take effect, you still need to witness the release. However... As you said, you have already seen every future. And that includes one where I have been stood in front of you and unleashed my power."

Yhwach's entire form was suddenly dwarfed in pitch black shadow. The dozens of irises vanished, and He spontaneously stopped shuddering. One hand rapidly lifted and pointed directly at Aizen's chest.

"Then what happens if I decide to fight with my eyes closed?"

_Damn it..._ Aizen's mind hissed. _He's already figured out that if he's not looking at it, the effect weakens?_

An enormous Heilig Pfeil formed in Yhwach's hand and blasted out into Aizen's chest, sending the former Captain flying.

The sound of roaring wind suddenly filled the air, as Ichigo took a swing at Yhwach's head from behind. Turning on the spot, the Quincy King manifested an enormous blade from reishi and clashed against the Bankai. A massive explosion shook the area, blasting skyward and parting the clouds.

"Do not think that I am unable to fight you, now that my eyes are closed!" He shouted. "Know your place, human!"

That was when he heard the voice, screaming from out of his peripheral vision.

"Bankai!"

* * *

Urahara dodged the rain of pure white bullets, emitted from Beraht's eyes, by a hair's breadth. They moved incredibly fast and, descending in blanket barrages, came in consistently thick and fast. More troublesome still were the lasers that it fired from the eyes mounted on its tubes. Moving in an unbroken beam, they were able to bend and change trajectory, making them extremely difficult to dodge.

The former Captain caught himself remembering one of his first training sessions with Ichigo. Explaining to him the mechanisms behind hard hitting and powerful attacks. About how the stronger the attack, the fewer times it could be used in quick succession. He had told him to aim for the window between cycles.

And that was exactly what Urahara was doing.

All the while, he attempted to ignore the hypnotic power of Beraht's voice as it berated him.

"I hope you learn as you wish, Urahara Kisuke," it stated, as it continued to belt the rain of light down upon him. "If you do not, my efforts will have been fruitless, and only destruction will be had. Knowledge: that is what you want, correct? Perhaps you need not logical understanding of all things, but a morality and philosophy to live by. I know that I will not lose this day, so please relent and allow me to rebuttal your decisions and question your motives so that you may improve. That, after all, is the motive of learning, correct?"

_Improving is the motive of learning?_ Urahara thought, as he dashed and ducked between and behind stone columns. _You're right... But right now. Right now this is not learning or research. This is a battle. And the motive of a battle is to survive and win._

There was a brief interlude as the blanket of projectiles momentarily ceased.

_And there's my window!_

Restructuring his legs to ensure peak physical capabilities, Urahara lunged at the Schutzstaffel. Simultaneously, he deconstructed and reconstructed his right arm, so as to give him a massive boost in strength.

_So weapons are destroyed on contact? he thought. Then what about barehanded strikes?_

The forefront of his restructured fist slammed into the side of Beraht's face with so much force that a shockwave blasted out behind its head. Blood trickled down from the corner of its white mouth in a contrasting red line.

"A very nice strike," Beraht said, flatly. "However the true art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." It paused briefly as Urahara again punched it in the face. "Though it appears that my words are simply not enough. To truly show you the folly of your actions, I will return them on to you. To know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. And I do know you. Through my sight I am able to memorise your memories and learn your techniques." Beraht lifted one arm just as black stitch-like markings appeared all over it. Breaking down into the components, it spontaneously reformed. "Tell me... This is how it is done, is it not?"

Urahara was struck back with force equal to that of his own attack. Swept off of his feet, he flew backwards, only righting himself in time to see one of Beraht's bullets appearing inches in front of his face.

Struck by the projectile, Urahara stumbled. And yet he felt no pain.

Though that wasn't exactly true. He felt no physical pain, yes. However... It felt as if his very soul was about to tear apart in anguish.

"These lights of famine do not revel in utter sadism or suffering; that is not their purpose." Beraht splayed its hands to the side and began to float, looking down upon Urahara. "These will show you yourself, force you to destroy before you build; to let go before you take. These are the influence of epiphany, not hopelessness. Such is the nature of Dukkha."

Staggering back, an overwhelming feeling washed over Urahara. Starting in his chest and coursing through his body, like liquid lead, a heavy sensation overtook him. Depressive thoughts stormed through his skull, despair crackling through his limbs like a current of electricity.

Falling to his knees, his eyes found a fixed point on the floor. A hitched breath escaped his lips, carrying with it a single phrase: "I'm a failure..."

"It is over," Beraht stated, calmly. "Having known the truth of your own suffering, the futility of your past mistakes, you can do nothing more than sink to your knees and pray to find peace."

And indeed, that was what Urahara had done. Crushed under the weight of his own shortcomings, he could do little more than bow his head. His moments of greatest powerlessness rose up to meet him like a freight train, slamming into his brain and paralysing all other functions.

He had failed the Vizards. Because of him, they would never again be normal. It was all because of his research that they had been dragged into Aizen's schemes. It was all his fault that Aizen had matured his own Hōgyōku. The Winter War was entirely his fault. So was the predicament of Ichigo Kurosaki. Because of his own selfish ends, he had been the one to help Kurosaki regain his powers, and started a domino effect of suffering for the boy.

But he knew all that already.

Suddenly coming to a realisation, he submitted to the feeling that washed over him.

Rising to his feet, Urahara stared down the ethereal creature that stood floating before him.

Beraht, for perhaps the first time in its life, expressed an air of confusion.

"So you make me experience all of the suffering I could ever hope to feel?" Urahara asked. "What of it? I shoulder the burden of my mistakes every day. And do you want to know the one thing that I have learned? Succumbing is the only way to move on."

Eyes glazing over at the Shinigami's words, Beraht slipped into its own thoughts.

_What an odd feeling. I think that I've forgotten...yes, that's it. It's been right in front of me the whole time. I was lecturing them all this time about the futility of the omniscient while being so, yet thought myself not blind. How foolish. These people who seek to change their present - no, their future...they are just like I was. Yet now I stand here and expect to reach what I said cannot be reached. I see the game we're playing..._

Suddenly shouting at something behind the Quincy, Urahara stepped to the side. "Now!"

Across the room, Nanao lifted the rectangular object clasped in her hands, just as The Left Hand launched a series of nerves at her. Gritting her teeth, Nanao slammed the foremost mirrored side of the weapon into them and let out a hoarse scream. "Shinken Hakkyōken!"

The Zanpakuto reflected the power of the God stood before her and blasted out an enormous beam of white light that vaporised The Left Hand on contact.

Seeing the attack, Beraht broke into a smile and quickly flicked its attention back towards Urahara.

"Thank you, Urahara Kisuke. If it were not for you, I could not have seen such an obvious self-fulfilling prophecy. I had forseen my victory here today; you stood no chance to begin with. But that stands to reason, can I not change that? I can, as I have seen as well. Not then, but now, I see. It's these moments of clarity that I once lived for and abandoned at some point in the past... But thank you once more for opening my eyes."  
Eyes suddenly growing cloudy, Berhat's once solid white orbs spontaneously gained irises. A beautiful shade of grey, they were the eyes of a human.

Despite having seen the attack coming, Beraht smiled softly and stepped directly into its path.

Struck by the blast, the pure white being was engulfed in a blaze of light, burning way the form of its Vollstandig. Falling face first to the floor, Beraht lost itself to emotion.

By this point, dark hair had started to sprout from its head. The once pure white skin was slowly changing in tone, until it bore an ever so slight tan, and the third eye set into its head closed.

Locking eyes with Urahara, Beraht broke into a peaceful smile. "I will meet you again one day, in a body more suited to what I seek. Then I hope you will accompany me in the path to true enlightenment. Promise me that you will not forget this."

Tipping his hat, Urahara nodded. "It's a deal."

At that moment, the Quincy's body spontaneously burst. Lotus seeds scattered into the air before being swept along by the wind, out across the Soul Society.

* * *

"Bankai! Zanka no Tachi!"

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) dropped out of the sky and hacked off Yhwach's left arm in a single strike. Heat bloomed in the wake of the slash and an enormous fissure opened in the top of the Wahrwelt.

Protruding from the top edge of a medallion, clasped in Snow's hand, a chipped and scorched blade jutted out into the open air. Around where he held the weapon, the Sternritter's hand had been scorched and burned black. Angry blisters rose up from his skin.

His eyes, like chips of glacial ice, were hardened into steel.

_I've been waiting for this, you sonofabitch,_ he thought bitterly as he landed on the ground. _For the moment when you shut your eyes, and couldn't see me coming!_

"Beraht, what have you done?!" Yhwach screamed, turning towards the Sternritter and reforming His arm with a swarm of amorphous black shadows. "Why did you give him Genryusai's Bankai?!"

"Zanka no Tachi, South!" Snow screamed, rounding back towards the Kaiser. "Kaka Juuman Okushi Daisoujin!"

Beneath their feet, the stone slabs that formed the peak of the fortress began to rise and break apart. Emerging from under their feet, dozens of charred black skeletons rose from the grave.

Visages of Quincy long since passed flickered in front of Yhwach, taking the forms of soldiers mowed down by Yamamoto when the Quincy Kaiser had first invaded the Soul Society. Lunging for their Emperor, the hundreds of bodies began to grab and paw at Him, in an attempt to tear Yhwach apart.

Rising out of the coals of the ground, the form of Ferdinand Savagne (The Quick) lurched forwards at almost untraceable speed. His humongous hands grabbed the Kaiser around the torso to try and crush Him. Ash dropped from the tip of the cigar, still clenched between his teeth.

"Damn these insects!" Yhwach screamed, smashing the deceased Quincys away with a swing of His right hand. "Buzzing around me... Like flies!"

Closing the distance between Him and the white-haired Sternritter, Yhwach thrust out His reformed left hand. A sickening crunch split the air as He rammed His shadowy arm through the chest of his former subordinate.

Snow vomited blood, his eyes losing focus fast. Without hesitating, his free left hand shot up and grabbed Yhwach's wrist, still embedded in his chest. The shadow began to sizzle and burn at his very touch, smoke rising into the air.

"I've got you...!" Snow ground out, weakly. "Zanka no Tachi, West! Zanjitsu Gokui!"

Flames, so hot they defied reason, erupted from Snow's body and completely enveloped Yhwach's form. Vanishing into the blaze, the New God let out a horrific cry of agony as His flesh was atomised by the insane heat.

Throwing down the body of the impaled Sternritter, Yhwach leapt away from the fire. His wounds, bubbling and charred black, were instantly covered in shapeless black shadows. Hundreds of eyes opened across the entire of His body.

"No more!" He screamed. "I have tried to be fair to you creatures, but now my patience has reached its end!"

Ichigo, rushing Him from behind, lifted one end of his Bankai in an attempt to slice through the New God.

Instead, his blade was caught by the Quincy Deity. "That goes for you too, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Digging His fingers into the Bankai, the metal began to creak under the strain. "You will never defeat me! Those powers you inherited from your Mother are mine! You think you can defeat me with my own power?! Know your place you insect!"

"Oh?" Ichigo grinned. "So you really think you're looking at Kurosaki?"

Yhwach stepped back in confusion as Sosuke Aizen appeared in front of Him. It was his blade that the Quincy King had grabbed.

"You really should have kept your eyes closed."

The point of a blade, split evenly black and white, emerged from the middle of Yhwach's chest. Eroding around the wound, His shadow-clad flesh began to bubble and melt.

"H-hollow poisoning?!" He screamed, confused.

"You said that all of my powers came from my Mother?" Ichigo hissed, from between gritted teeth as he twisted the blade. "Well this is something else I got from my Mother, you son of a bitch!"

Turning around, Yhwach lifted His shadowy left arm and struck out at Ichigo, blowing him back from the force.

Spontaneously convulsing, a hole began to open in His chest. Screaming, He lifted both of His arms, prompting enormous masses of shadows to rise from the ground. Covered in eyes, they instantly spread across the entire of the Wahrwelt and began to rage uncontrollably.

"Do not think you can defeat me so easily!" He screamed. "I can remake this world with a thought! I am God! He who has swallowed the Sun! And if I cannot defeat you through force... Then I will simply reshape the universe into one in which you do not exist!"

Turning to face Aizen, He prepared to lash out at the former Captain-

When He noticed something else.

It was moving incredibly fast, and heading straight for Him.

Dwarfed in an orange glow, Uryu Ishida was speeding towards Him, arm raised and eyes narrowed in determination. In his hand, something was glinting brightly.

_How?!_ Yhwach's mind roared. _My eyes are open! How did I not see him coming?!_

* * *

_Not hesitating for a second, Uryu Ishida fired an arrow at Orihime Inoue._

_Eyes opening wide, Orhime hurriedly summoned her Santen Kesshun to protect her from the shot. The arrow collided with the luminous orange surface and exploded into white sparks._

_"Ishida-Kun, what are you doing?" Orihime cried, eyes brimming with tears as she pleaded for answers._

_Uryu didn't respond. Activating Hirenkyaku, he dashed towards her and reappeared on the other side of the triangular shield._

_"Keep that shield up," Uryu said suddenly, his voice weighted and low._

_Still stood a distance away, Ryuken knitted his brows together in confusion as he watched his son. Similarly, Yoruichi Shihoin and Ganju Shiba, who flanked Orihime, bore perplexed expressions._

_"I'm sorry for shooting at you," Uryu said. "But I needed you to activate your shield, without me telling you. Otherwise Yhwach would have seen."_

_"What are you talking about?" Yoruichi asked, bluntly._

_"Yhwach's power to see the future," Uryu explained. "It has a blind spot."_

_"Things that trespass into the divine," Yoruichi confirmed. "We saw it when we first confronted Him."_

_"And Orihime's abilities do just that. Whenever she uses her Santen Kesshun or her Soten Kisshun, he's unable to perceive those events. The problem is when she deactivates them, he is able to see the results and extrapolate from there."_

_Orihime's face briefly flashed a bemused expression as she listened to Uryu's complicated explanation._

_"Basically, as long as your abilities are active, he can't see us," Uryu surmised. "Which is why I've been waiting for you here, and why I attacked you."_

_"You had to force her to use her powers without explaining first, or Yhwach would have been able to see," Ryuken completed, eyeing his son. "And so you must have decided that in the event you didn't meet up with her, then you would continue to act like the enemy's agent."_

_"That's right."_

_"Which means you confronted me with every intention of killing me," Ryuken continued, narrowing his gaze towards his son._

_"All for the good of the cause," Uryu said pointedly towards his Father. He turned towards Yoruichi. "How fast can you get us to the summit?"_

_"Me?" Yoruichi grinned. "Give me five minutes."_

_"But once we get up there, you'll need to get close to Him," Orihime interjected. "My Santen Kesshun can only stay active for a short time... And it can't get too far away from me."_

_Uryu smiled. "That's where my power comes in."_

_Ganju, speaking for the first time since he arrived, raised an eyebrow. "Power?"_

_"I was drafted as a replacement for one of their ranks who died in the first invasion," Uryu explained, lifting one hand. "I'm Sternritter Q: The Quantity. I'm able to manipulate values and energy in any given system. I'll change the range that the Santen Kesshun can stay active within. Trust me." He turned to Yoruichi. "You get me and Orihime up there, and I'll do the rest."_

* * *

Thrown with all of the force of Yoruichi's Shunko-enhanced form, Uryu Ishida (The Quantity) rocketed towards Yhwach with his hand outstretched. The former Captain was behind him, touching down on the roof of the Wahrwelt with Orihime tucked under her arm.

Still the Santen Kesshun remained in front of Uryu, repulsed forward as he moved, spurred on by the power of his Schrift.

Having noticed the boy, Yhwach prepared to attack. Dozens of shadows hardened into points around him, ready to pierce Uryu the moment he moved within range.

_Damn it...!_ Uryu thought. _He's seen me! He'll kill me before I get to him!_

The New God readied Himself to attack, splaying His fingers, preparing to unleash the shadows.

All of a sudden a dozen copies of Uryu appeared, all simultaneously charging at Him. Out of the corner of his vision, Yhwach saw Sosuke Aizen smirking to himself.

"If that's your plan, then that's nowhere near enough!" Yhwach screamed, His shadows tripling in number. "I just have to kill them all!"

Then something hit Him.

Pitched with extreme force, a small circular object slammed into the side of Yhwach's head. Lightning trailing in its wake, the orb flashed brightly with a purple light.

Over a mile away, through the debris of the ruined Wahrwelt, Sylvanus Athala tensed his muscles after throwing the Gravity Node. Sparks of electricity crackled from his eyes.

Laying on the floor beneath him, the lion's head of his Vollständig roaring off of his crushed shoulder, Onmar Gunther allowed the heel of his raised leg to fall to the floor.

"T-10."

Suddenly hit with ten times normal gravity, Yhwach faltered for an instant.

His shadows ripped through the air and pierced the dozens of copies of Uryu Ishida. Only one managed to escape.

The real Uryu Ishida.

Breaking through the barrier of the Santen Kesshun, the young Quincy thrust his clenched fist into the hole in Yhwach's chest, created by Ichigo only moments ago.

"Reishi dispersal chips..." Uryu ground out, through gritted teeth. "My Grandfather gave them to me... I think he wanted me to kill you."

Screaming in rage, Yhwach moved to strike the young Quincy boy.

Rapidly withdrawing his hand, Uryu activated the chips inside of the Quincy King. Their effects were instant. His body being made entirely of reishi, the chips eroded Yhwach at a molecular level. Blasting the atoms of His body apart, the minuscule devices blew the New God away, like ashes in the wind.

The shadows that dwarfed the Wahrwelt began to recede; the eyes covering them shutting.

All that remained of Yhwach was a head and His right arm. Reaching out, His finger splayed wide in an attempt to grasp Uryu. His mouth opened in a wordless scream.

A blade came from behind, piercing Yhwach's head and slamming it down into the floor.

Ichigo stood over Him, planting the blade of his Bankai firmly into the ground.

Yhwach was finally dead.

Looking down at what remained of the body, both Ichigo and Uryu spoke; their words overlapping.

"That was for my Mother."

* * *

_**[A/N: There is still more! Essentially, I decided against having the epilogue as part of this chapter (If I did, it would have been over 10'000 words long and, frankly speaking "Ain't nobody got time fo' dat!"). Sooooo... There is still one more chapter! It should be up within the week, so keep your eyes out for it! Thank you all so so SO much for such an amazing ride!]**_


	93. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

What remained of Yhwach lay upon the summit of his Wahrwelt. Limp locks of hair billowed off of the scalp, catching the wind as it blew past.

All around it, the Palace was in ruins. Rubble and debris littered the floor, settling down upon the ice like a dusting of concrete snow.

The sun, now high in the sky, threw a pale light on the figures of Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryu Ishida.

The sound of hands clapping filled the air. Both Ichigo and Uryu turned towards the source of the noise, to see Aizen slowly striding towards them. His eyes glittered expectantly as a smile plucked the corner of his mouth.

"Very nicely done," he smirked. "Together we have managed to kill God. As much as I would like to claim otherwise, I could not have done it without you." He cast his gaze over everyone present, before flitting his eyes past the body of Snow (The Yuki-Oni). "All of you. And I really mean that. However, now arises the problem of who is to replace Him. As things stand, I'd say we have..." He made a mocking attempt at a perplexed face. "Five minutes."

A current of fear coursed through Ichigo. Glancing down at the severed head of Yhwach, his eyes widened.

"Hmm..." Aizen mused lightheartedly. "Now who present should be the one to take his place?" His eyes glimmered dangerously. "Why I believe it's... Me."

Ichigo raised the double-ended form of his Bankai and stepped between the rogue Captain and what remained of Yhwach's head. Uryu too took a step sideways and widened the human barricade.

"Not on your life," Ichigo breathed, sweat dripping down his face as his injuries finally caught up with him.

"Now why would you go and say that?" Aizen smiled. "And after I complimented you as well... Surely you can see how this is going to end?"

The ground around the removed head of the former God suddenly sank down. Stitch-like markings appeared around the rim of the hole. A bright flash emanated from the fissure, streaking into the air in a single beam of light.

Ichigo and Uryu both whirled around, to stare down into the pit. Aizen's eyes opened wide in surprise.

Stepping out onto the roof of the Wahrwelt, Jushiro Ukitake was clad in rippling wisps of light. Opening His eyes, they were revealed to have turned purple, the irises split into two separate and distinct circles.

"Phew..." he breathed out, lightheartedly. "Seems like I just about made it in time." Stepping past a bemused Ichigo and Uryu, He waved once at the former Captain of Squad Five. "Aizen. Always a pleasure."

Narrowing his eyes, Aizen took a step forwards as the Reiatsu around him grew denser. "Ukitake..."

Climbing out of the hole, Urahara disengaged his Bankai and tipped his hat to Aizen. "Sorry. But he really was the best choice as a replacement Soul King."

The renegade Shinigami said nothing.

"Oh come now, don't be like that," the white-haired Shinigami smiled, walking over towards him and clapping one hand onto Aizen's shoulder. "After all, this whole God business really isn't for you, is it? Really my only job now is to just exist. Wouldn't you rather actually do something of substance? Say for example... As a member of my Royal Guard?" His smile widened in a friendly manner. "Besides... It's not as if I'm really standing above you now, am I? Honestly speaking, you could probably beat me right now. Or any time you want, for that matter. After all, I've seen your Kyouka Suigetsu."

Aizen broke into a smirk and stared sidelong at Ukitake. "You're playing to my ego."

Ukitake's lighthearted expression didn't falter. "Is it working?"

Aizen merely scoffed and turned away. Traversing the ruined summit of the Wahrwelt, he sealed his Zanpakuto, the blade vanishing.

"Am I to take this as a yes?" Ukitake asked.

"It isn't a no," he replied, before vanishing.

Ukitake smiled and turned back to face Ichigo and Uryu. "Now..." His strange eyes flitted quickly over the Wahrwelt. "How about we clean this mess up."

* * *

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) walked through the restored buildings of the Seireitei, supporting Onmar Gunther (The Gravity) as he limped alongside him. Off to the side, and keeping pace with them, Aya Herz (The Stained-Glass) hung her head silently.

After returning to the ground, they had found that the New Soul King had already dispersed the buildings and wreckage of the Silbern. As such, it was a struggle to find their bearings and locate the bodies of their dead friends.

Stopping for a second, Aya turned her deep purple eyes over the landscape. A sad expression gripped her face as she returned her attention to the backs of her two surviving comrades.

"H-hey..." she called after them hesitantly, taking several steps forwards.

Stopping, the two men half turned back towards the young girl.

Looking up at Onmar's scarred and bruised face, she paused for a second to take a breath. "Thank you... For... For saving me."

Sylvanus broke into a surprised and bemused expression, never expecting Aya to even say two words to Onmar, much less thank him.

A sad flash of emotion passed over the Schutzstaffel's face at the words of the girl. In an instant, he decided not to tell her about her brother. About how he was the one that had killed him. Instead, he pulled his mouth into a sad smile. "Don't mention it... Hey." His smile widened slightly and he nodded his head to the side. "Let's go and find Knight."

* * *

Waking dazed and confused in the clean streets of the Seireitei, Shuhei Hisagi slowly felt his memories coming back to him. With the death of his opponent, the memories that had been reaped from him had steadily started to return.

Rising to his feet, he stared vacantly around before setting off at a slow pace through the buildings.

Before long, as if guided by some kind of magnetic force, he found himself looking down on the body of Eric Koertig (The Reaper). He had been positioned with his arms crossed over his chest; his eyes closed and the blood wiped off of his face.

A strange feeling churned inside Shuhei's stomach as he looked down at the corpse of his foe. Eric was covered in deep wounds, all caused by the Shinigami's Bankai.

The Lieutenant stood in silence for several minutes, breathing slowly and softly.

Stooping down, Shuhei cradled the body gently and set off to bury him.

* * *

Rukia Kuchiki lay in a hospital bed, deep inside the barracks of the Fourth Division. IV tubes protruded from the flesh of her arm, moving uncomfortably under her skin as she turned to glance across the room.

Laying parallel to her, still unconscious and with an oxygen mask clasped over his mouth, Renji Abarai breathed slowly.

He was still alive.

The emergency Kido that she had used on him managed to save his life.

A tear formed in the pit of her eye, and she broke into a smile.

* * *

The body of Zeit Mehre (The Omni-Direction) still stood frozen in the middle of the Seireitei. Pure white, his form was so cold that even the air around it caught the chill and carried the cold out onto the wind.

Footsteps perforated the air as someone approached.

Gillaume DaVinci (The Friction) stepped out of a Senkaimon and looked down at his former student. Behind him, Kisuke Urahara pulled down on the rim of his hat solemnly.

"I kept my word," he said, to the old man's back. "I brought you back, just like I said that I would."

Gillaume didn't turn around. He stayed staring down at Zeit, his expression restrained. Light glinted off of the burn scar etched onto the right side of his face. "I didn't expect you to."

"Neither did I," Urahara replied, softly. "But... Let's just say that I met someone who helped me put a lot of things into perspective."

"It was Beraht, wasn't it?"

Kisuke took a second to himself before responding. "Yes."

"He's not gone, you know," Gillaume said, slowly. "I don't know when, but he will come back." At his side, the elderly man clenched his fist tightly. "Unlike everybody else..."

Urahara cast his eyes away.

"He was a good kid, you know," Gillaume said, reaching out towards the frozen statue of Zeit and stopping as soon as he felt the extreme cold. "Don't get me wrong... He was strong. And he could be arrogant for it. But... He was like my son."

Wiping his eyes, Gillaume turned towards Urahara.

"A parent should never have to bury his own child."

Urahara let out a breath. "If you want... I can arrange for his body to be brought back for you. I know it's not much, as gestures go, but..." He trailed off.

Taking a second to himself, Gillaume stood in silence before replying. He looked back over his shoulder at Zeit. "Please. That would mean a lot to me."

Attempting to distract himself, so that he didn't start to cry, Gillaume stole a look over the buildings of the Seireitei.

"You know... The architecture here really isn't so bad..."

* * *

**-Ten Years Later-**

Shunsui Kyoraku stood at the congregation of Captains, leaning against the cane that he now used to walk. Even ten years later, he still bore the evidence of his fight with Joseph Fehler (The Mistake). Like his mentor, he had refused the offer from Orihime Inoue to restore his missing right arm; feeling as if it were an important reminder of the battle.

In front of him stood a full roster of thirteen Captains.

Captains Sui-Feng and Rose, of Divisions Two and Three, had barely changed since the end of the war. They still sported almost the exact same style as before. Beside them, their Lieutenants stared forwards.

Isane Kotetsu, having taken command of the medical force during the war, had long since been promoted to the position of Captain of Squad Four. She now wore her once messy hair styled into a neat perm, that settled on the shoulders of her wide Haori. Stood at her side, her Lieutenant, Hanataro Yamada stared forwards with a vacant expression.

Shinji Hirako had allowed his hair to grow out even longer; the ends now long passing his shoulders. To replace the fallen Momo Hinamori, Hiyori Sarugaki had returned to the Soul Society and now wore the Lieutenant badge of Squad Five.

Following the sacrifice of Byakuya Kuchiki to kill the Schutzstaffel Sideyatosiya Kirmie (The Hive-Mind), Renji Abarai had become the new Captain of the Sixth Division. He wore a pair of goggles of his own design, and the number of tattoos that covered him had long since increased. The bottom of his Haori was torn and creased. Next to him, Rikichi was fiddling with his Lieutenant's badge. The tattoos he had gotten in honour of Renji had also grown more extensive.

Love Aikawa, his hair now gathered into several bunches, stood as the current Captain of the Seventh Division, replacing Sajin Komamura. At his feet, the form of a large dog lay curled up and sleeping. Reaching down, Tetsuzaimon Iba began to pet the large canine.

Shuhei Hisagi, following the mastering of his Bankai and his defeat of a Sternritter, had been promoted to Captain of Squad Eight, to fill the spot left vacant when Kyoraku became the new Captain Commander. His hair had been cut short at the sides, leaving the spikes of his fringe to hang down over his forehead.

Kensei Muguruma and Mashiro were still the Captain and (Super) Lieutenant of Division Nine; little having changed in regards to their appearance.

Further down the line, Rangiku Matsumoto stood on her own, still wearing her Lieutenant's badge. They had yet to find a replacement for the Captain of Squad Ten, after Toshiro Hitsugaya had fallen in the first Vandenreich invasion. Kyoraku often joked that the spot was reserved of Ichigo Kurosaki, after he died and came to the Soul Society.

Kenpachi Zaraki stood staring absent-mindedly around the room. The left hand side of his face bore a large burn scar from where Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) had detonated a reishi bomb, formed from his Sklavrei. Perched on his shoulder, as always, was Yachiru Kusajishi.

Nemu Kurotsuchi stood with her hands clasped in front of her, the white Captain's Haori that she wore bunching under her arms. Her face was completely deadpan, making the purple lines drawn from her eyes down her cheeks, and over her jaw, look even more ridiculous. Beside her, Akon (now her Lieutenant) muttered under his breath that wanting to pay tribute to Mayuri with makeup only ever made her look silly.

Standing closest to the door, Rukia Kuchiki was swamped by her Captain's Haori. Far too big for her, it made her look almost like a small child. Still, she held a look of fierce determination. After Ukitake had become the New Soul King, she had to prove herself and fill the large gap that he had left behind.

"So..." Kyoraku said, looking all of the Captains over. "Are we all ready to start?"

* * *

Kisuke Urahara sat inside Urahara Shoten, drinking, when he felt a presence in the doorway. Somebody was watching him.

Tessai was in the back running a stock-check with Ururu, so it couldn't have been them. Similarly, Jinta was out on a date. The only person that it could have been was Yoruichi, however something about the way the individual felt was different.

The was a calming sensation emanating from the doorway.

Looking up, Urahara placed the sight of a deep golden glow and broke into a smile.

"Well..." he said. "It's been ten years. So I guess its time to make good on my promise. Would you care for a drink?"

"No thank you," a level voice replied. "However I will enjoy the pleasure of your company, if that is also an offer."

Urahara looked Beraht Kailash Wakahisa (The Awakening) up and down, before breaking into a smile. "Of course it is."

* * *

Grimmjow Jeaggerjaquez, the former Sexta Espada, sat on the ruined roof of Las Noches, looking over the dark expanse of Hueco Mundo. A black patch covered where he had lost his eye in the battle with Nina Redwing (The Blood).

His hair was tussled by the warm wind, fluttering in time with the claws dangling from the necklace that he wore.

Below him, visible as a tiny spec on the ground, Neliel Tu Oderschvank was heading out into the desert once again.

After the invasion of the Vandenreich, the former inhabitants of Las Noches had scattered deep into the darkness of the realm. It had taken the past ten years just to find a fraction of them. The power of the Quincy army had been immense; scaring most of the Arrancars into hiding as far away as they could get.

Grimmjow traced one hand over his chest as he remembered his battle with Nina.

_She was strong..._ he thought. Then, with a grin, he remembered Sylvanus and their bare-knuckle battle. _He was stronger._

Reminiscing on battles eventually brought his mind back to Kurosaki.

_Just you wait..._ he thought. _I'll come and find you eventually. Then we can finally settle things._

* * *

Sylvanus looked up from the decking and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. Sawdust clung to the thin strands of his grey hair, and the tips of his eyelashes. His already tanned skin was darker than before, and he bore a number of creases extending across the skin that bordered his eyes.

Reaching out for the bottle of beer, set down on the engine of the boat, he took a deep breath and looked up at the clear blue sky. Clouds crawled across lazily and pale light caught the seven-pointed star, clasped to the chain of his necklace. Hung next to it, the metal clicking together, was Jamina Jazdera (The Injection)'s Quincy cross.

Taking a swig of the beer, he looked down over the edge and broke into a grin.

"How's that painting coming along?"

Onmar pulled a disgruntled impression as he glanced up at his best friend. "Terrible." He saw Sylvanus fight back a chuckle. "I tell you what, you try painting with one hand and tell me if it's funny, then." Onmar stepped back and lifted his left arm, still missing a hand. "And look... I'm covered. I stink of anti-fouling."

The holes left behind when he forcefully removed his Gravity Nodes were gone, replaced by smooth and shiny scarred skin. Across his face and exposed arms, Onmar also bore evidence of numerous cuts, long since healed. His jet black hair had been cropped short, revealing his attractive features. Still not far into his thirties, he still appeared quite young. Dangling from the wrist of his right arm, in addition to the cross he had taken from Aya's brother all those years ago, Onmar wore Tomoko Stano (The Entropy)'s Quincy cross.

Chuckling to himself, Sylvanus leaned back and lay on the sanded oak. Losing himself in the fresh blue sky, he began to think.

"Can you believe it's been ten years already?" he asked, suddenly speaking.

Having dropped the paintbrush, Onmar was in the process of using his remaining hand to wipe paint off of his face. "Honestly? It feels like it's been longer... It doesn't even feel like the same lifetime anymore."

"I can still remember them..." Sylvanus said, closing his eyes as he thought back on his dead comrades. "All of them..."

"I don't think I'm ever going to forget them," Onmar replied, softly. His lime eyes gained a faraway expression to them. "They were such an important part of my life that I don't want to forget them... Even the ones that made it difficult to like them. Mann, Haans, Legion, Gabriele... Even Lenora."

Sylvanus rolled over and looked over the edge of the boat, once again. "What about Kirmie?"

Onmar looked at the second cross, draped around his wrist. "No."

"Hey guys!" suddenly called out a cheerful voice, from across the boat yard.

A beautiful young woman stepped into the yard and broke into a smile.

The girl made her way past the various Sunseekers and RIBs, waving as she approached the two men. She wore a light pair of jean shorts and a purple tank top. Her black hair was tied back behind her head, and under her arm she held some kind of package.

"Hey Aya," Sylvanus smiled, jumping down from the boat and dusting himself off. Lifting one hand, he pointed at the paper-wrapped parcel. "What's that you've got?"

Aya's smile widened. "I made it today."

Tearing off the brown paper, she lifted up what appeared to be an empty picture frame. The glass set into the front bore a number of strange markings.

"It's empty..." Onmar said, bluntly. "If this is all art school teaches you, me and Syl are gonna stop working to pay your tuition."

Pouting, Aya shot an exasperated look at Onmar. "I didn't make it at school." She hushed her voice to a whisper. "I made it using my Schrift."

"You know we told you not to use that," Onmar stated, pointedly.

"Just because you can't use yours anymore doesn't mean that I shouldn't use mine," the young woman replied, smirking. "Besides..." She placed one fingertip against the glass surface. Spontaneously, it began to change colour; numerous different shades spreading across the once clear sheet. "As long as I use it for things like this, I'm guessing it's alright."

Set into the frame, Aya now held a full-colour picture of twenty six individuals. They were all dressed in white and faced forwards, smiles on their faces.

"It's been ten years," she said, smiling. "So I thought this would be nice. Something to help remember them by."

Looking at the stained-glass image of the Sternritter, Sylvanus broke into a smile. "It's perfect."

* * *

Uryu Ishida stood in the window of Karakura General Hospital, looking down over his home town. Now 27 years old, he bore a quiet air of dignity to him; his glossy black hair combed back out of his face. His glasses were narrow and stylish.

"You know, I remember you telling me once that you never wanted to become a doctor," a voice arose behind him.

Flicking his eyes over towards his Father, Uryu smiled softly. "Well... I guess I decided that helping people can't be so bad after all..."

Turning his attention back to the window, he spotted the form of a large man walking through the middle of the town.

Yasutora Sado, high visibility vest slung over his shoulder, had just finished his shift on the construction site. Concrete dust clung to his large form, sticking to his sweat. Under his left arm, he held a small box.

As he passed by the Dojo, he glanced inside and saw Tatsuki Arisawa midway through teaching one of her classes. She had been the Master of the Dojo for almost four years, and seemed no less fierce than she had done when they went to highschool together.

Smiling to himself, Chad shook his head and continued on his way.

Hurrying slightly as he moved in front of the local bar, he could just about make out the ostentatious screams of Keigo Asano, ordering his staff around. While he didn't want to get caught up there just yet, Chad decided to return for a drink later.

No doubt Mizuiro would be there too. Despite being the manager of a large corporate building, and his often cold attitude towards Keigo, he always spent his afternoons in the small local establishment.

Rounding a corner, he finally spied his destination. The Kurosaki Clinic.

His smile widening, Chad walked up to the front door and knocked. Karin opened the door and returned the smile.

"Is Yuzu not home?" Chad asked, stepping inside. "She's usually the one that opens the door."

"Jinta took her out shopping for a present," Karin explained. "She should be back soon."

Chad sat down at the table and looked around. "And Ichigo?"

"He's with a patient," Karin replied. "He should be done soon." The sound of raised voices arose out of one of the clinic's consultation rooms. "Provided him and the old man don't kill each other first."

Breaking into a brief laugh, Chad set down the box that he had been carrying.

Ichigo entered, an exasperated expression clinging to his face. His hair was shorter and his jawline was more defined, bearing a slight dusting of stubble. "Damn that old man..." he muttered under his breath. "If the patient is allergic to penicillin, don't give them amoxicillin..." Noticing his best friend, he perked up and smiled. "Oh, hey Chad! When did you get here?"

"Just now," he replied. "I take it Orihime is upstairs?"

"Yeah," Ichigo smiled. "Helping her get dressed. She said bunnies didn't suit the occasion."

An excited squeal suddenly pierced the room. A little girl, wearing a bright pink dress, suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Her bright orange hair was pinned up with a pair of hairpins.

"Uncle Chad!" she shouted, flinging herself at the large man.

Scooping up the girl, Chad spun her around and picked up the box. "I've got a present for you!"

Letting out an excited gasp, she reached out for the box. "What is it?"

"Well you'll just have to open it and find out," Chad smiled. "Happy Birthday Masaki."

* * *

_**[A/N: Well that's it! The end! 93 Chapters, almost 300'000 words, and a hell of a lot of good times!**_

_**I couldn't have done this without all of your amazing love and support! You have all helped this big passion project reach its conclusion and I couldn't be happier. You've all been such a wonderful audience, and all of your messages, reviews and forum posts have been what's kept me going this past year and a half.**_

_**I love each and every one of you!**_

_**If you've been a fan of my writing, please follow me in my next project: Another Brick in the Wall, and hopefully we'll have just as many good times as we have had here!**_

_**And if you want to read more amazing Bleach fanfiction, please go and follow Hollow's Pen and his amazing work "Bleach: Ashes of War", as well as Darkbeetlebot's latest story "Bleach - Kirai Yajirushi"! They're both amazing authors so please give them your support!**_

_**Thanks go out to all of the Sternritter creators; without you I literally wouldn't have had a story. Your characters were all wonderful and an honest pleasure to write!**_

_**Special thanks also go out to:**_

_**Everflames, Darkbeetlebot, , Solarbear, PrinceAladdin2, TheSkycrown, Aytgh, galaxyeyes10 and DSXtreme09! You all have been so massively helpful and really went above and beyond to help me during this writing process.**_

_**Much love to everyone, and once again thank you!**_

_**Daniel Affaro, signing out!]**_


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